Abstract

The case gives a detailed account of the battle between two of the world's leading breweries - Anheuser-Busch (AB) and SABMiller to takeover Harbin Brewery, the fourth largest brewery in China. The case explores the circumstances that led SABMiller to invest in Harbin and details the circumstances that forced that company to launch a hostile takeover bid for control of Harbin. It then examines the efforts made by Harbin to prevent the takeover attempt by SABMiller and also details the emergence of AB as a potential white knight, which eventually won the takeover bid for Harbin. Finally, the case explores who benefited most from the deal - AB, SABMiller, the Harbin Board or Harbin shareholders.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Hostile Takeover
• Takeover Defense Strategies
• Beer Industry.

Keywords

SABMiller Plc., Anheuser-Busch Inc., Harbin Brewery, Hostile Takeover, Takeover Defense Strategies, Chinese Takeover Regulations, White Knight, Trends in Chinese Beer Industry, Takeover Valuation, World's Largest Beer Markets