Happenings at A-B
Greetings,
The following items popped up on my Google search engine this morning and I foud them of particular interest.
The first is a rather short, dry morning report from an investment organization which has been in the news lately. The good folks at “Goldman” have placed Anheuser-Busch InBev on their “conviction sell” list for the reasons noted below.
When I first heard of the merger my first question was about that financing package. With the down-turn in the world economy that deal might not smell as malty-sweet as it once did. However, the economy of scale makes A-B a lot less significant than it once was.
Goldman sees risk, opportunity in Europe consumer staples
By Barbara Kollmeyer
Last update: 5:07 a.m. EDT March 23, 2009
“…Anheuser-Busch InBev remains a conviction sell as risks from financial gearing, rising costs of capital aren’t fully priced in.”
As a Brooklyn, NY resident for over twenty years, my appreciation of NASCAR is limited. In the deep receses of memory, say adolescence, there are fragments of thoughts associated with NHRA… Ed “Big Daddy” Roth… Don Garlits… Rat Fink… and then it all fades out to college daze…
Thus, this one almost slipped under the radar because it mentions both NASCAR and the NHRA in the same sentence.
Why is the following piece significant? Because it tells me that A-B is not only cutting its advertising budget, it is acutely aware of image. It seems the “outlaws” of the NHRA are long remembered.
Budweiser expected to stay on with Kahne
Posted: Monday, March 23, 2009
“CONCORD, N.C. - NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne said Wednesday he expects to continue his partnership with Anheuser-Busch even though the beer distributor is ending its sponsorship with the NHRA.”
“The St. Louis-based division of Anheuser-Busch InBev said this week it is ending its 30-year relationship with Kenny Bernstein Racing’s NHRA team, and Budweiser will no longer be the official beer of that series.”
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/03/23/ap/sports/auto-racing/d970md480.txt
And that’s the way I see things… through beer goggles eh?
Cheers!
Peter LaFrance
