DENMARK: Carlsberg veers off acquisition trail - report

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 9 November 2006

Carlsberg is not looking at any major acquisitions going forward, according to reports.

Speaking to Dow Jones yesterday (8 November), the brewer's chief executive, Niels Andersen, said that Carlsberg will instead focus on smaller purchases in India. The company has yet to find anything specific to its requirements, Andersen told the news service.

Andersen also dismissed as "pure speculation" local reports earlier yesterday suggesting that Carlsberg is willing to spend as much as DKK25bn (US$4.3bn) on acquisitions.

"We are looking at the Indian market but not on anything near DKK25bn," he told Dow Jones.

Yesterday, Carlsberg posted a healthy set of figures for the year so far. The brewer saw net revenue for the nine months to 30 September increase by 8% to DKK30.8bn thanks, it said, to "a positive trend in western Europe and continued volume growth in both Baltic Beverages Holding, and Asia".

Sectors: Beer & cider

Companies: Carlsberg, Baltic Beverages Holding