Anheuser-Busch Considering Counter-bid For Scottish & Newcastle

Anheuser-Busch reported to be examining whether to launch a last-ditch counter-offer for Scottish & Newcastle, the UK's biggest brewer.

According to an unsourced article in
the Sunday Times newspaper, the group, the world's third-largest
beermaker, has been studying the financial data on S&N, which
agreed a 7.8bn bid from Carlsberg and Heineken in January.

SABMiller, maker of Peroni, last week
said it decided not to make a counter-bid for S&N. Anheuser is
thought to be seeking opportunities to expand away from its US
heartland, with emerging markets such as Russia – where S&N has a
strong presence through a joint venture – seen as particularly
attractive.