AB InBev Lifts Cost-Savings Target as Earnings Miss Forecasts -- 2nd Update
March 02 2017 - 4:29AM
Dow Jones News
By Nick Kostov
Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the world's largest brewer, is eyeing
further cost savings and won't pay bonuses to its top brass
following a weaker-than-expected end to the year on a slump in
Brazil.
The brewer said Thursday that savings from its $100 billion-plus
megamerger with rival SABMiller will likely reach at least $2.8
billion compared with $2.45 billion previously. This includes $1.05
billion in cost savings SABMiller said it would target before the
merger was completed.
AB InBev also said it won't pay bonuses to most of its senior
management for 2016, including Chief Executive Carlos Brito and
Chief Financial Officer Felipe Dutra.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and
amortization-- a measure watched closely by investors as a measure
of the company's performance--fell to $5.25 billion for the three
months ended Dec. 31 from $5.62 billion a year earlier, missing
analyst expectations.
The figures were "even weaker than expected, not just in Brazil
but also in Mexico and SAB's two biggest markets of Colombia and
South Africa," said Trevor Stirling, an analyst at Bernstein.
The maker of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona posted both
weaker sales and higher costs in Brazil, which is struggling to
emerge from a two-year recession. Also faced with a decline in the
popularity of its biggest brands in the U.S. and Western Europe, AB
InBev completed a merger with rival SABMiller in October, making a
huge bet that it could tap new growth in Africa and other emerging
markets like Colombia and Peru.
AB InBev said it had already captured $282 million of savings by
Dec. 31 and expects $2 billion more within the next three or four
years.
The latest quarter is the first time SABMiller's results have
been consolidated in AB InBev's figures.
Net profit was $400 million for the three months to Dec. 31,
down from $2.29 billion a year earlier, while revenue rose 0.2% to
$14.2 billion. Revenue per hectoliter rose 3.9%, helped by lower
costs and the sale of more premium beer, while total beer volume
fell 3.3%. Beer sales declined in North America and Europe.
Excluding Brazil, Ebitda rose by 6.4% in the fourth quarter.
"It was a tough year but we remain committed to an attractive
Brazil market and believe we have the right strategy to get the
business back on track," Mr. Dutra said on a call with
reporters.
The company's shares dropped 1.8% in early trading.
For 2017, the company expects revenue growth to accelerate. It
said it would pay a final dividend of EUR2 a share, bringing the
total dividend for 2016 to EUR3.60, in line with previous
years.
Write to Nick Kostov at Nick.Kostov@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 02, 2017 04:14 ET (09:14 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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