breakingviews.com
Articles by breakingviews.com
Comment - Japanese fuel interest in Orangina sale
10 September 2009
There is always a bubble inflating somewhere. Right now that somewhere appears to be the soft drinks market. Intense interest among Japanese buyers has created an opportunity for US private-equity firms Blackstone Group and Lion Capital to sell Orangina, the iconic French juice brand, possibly for as much as the US$2.6bn they paid for it in 2006.
Comment - Beer price rises will test Obama's tolerance
27 August 2009
Both Anheuser-Busch InBev - purveyor of the president's favorite tipple - Bud Light - and MillerCoors are raising prices at the same time, during a recession and while beer demand is slumping. With an 80% market share between them, it almost begs for an anti-trust review of the industry.
Comment - Suntory/Kirin - Enter Godzilla
13 July 2009
The US has Budweiser, the so-called King of Beers. Soon Japan may have a Godzilla. Kirin, the country's biggest maker of suds, is mulling a merger with family-owned drinks maker Suntory, according to the local press. The resulting monster would have a dominant position in the Japanese beer market, could create lashings of synergies and might even do some damage overseas.
