London - Beverage groups SABMiller [JSE:SAB] and Asahi Breweries are looking at Foster's Group beer operations, valued at more than $10bn, but have not yet made any formal offers, sources said.
Long-running interest in the Australian brewer's beer business resurfaced on Monday after Britain's Sunday Times reported SABMiller was considering buying the unit.
Fund managers are divided over whether a suitor will emerge before Australia's largest brewer formally splits off its wine division in 2011 or wait, with complex debt and structural issues to be resolved.
A SABMiller spokesperson had no comment to make on Foster's and said it planned no announcements on Monday, but SABMiller shares fell 0.8% to £18.37 by 09:50, making it one of the FTSE 100 index's biggest losers. By 11:45, the counter lost 0.11% on the JSE to trade at R209.83.
"We remain sceptical that any bid will come here before the planned demerger of the beer division in early 2010," said analyst Ian Shackleton at brokers Nomura in London.
Foster's has one of the highest margin brewing operations in the world with brands including Foster's Lager, Victoria Bitter and Pure Blonde.
Analysts say Foster's beer business could also be an attractive target for drinks firms such as Molson Coors, which owns a 5% stake in Foster's, and Coca-Cola Amatil.
"SAB and Asahi are the two names that keep popping up and given the demerger process in train, you would expect people who ever thought they might look at Foster's to get teams together to do so," said one source familiar with the situation.
He declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.
Another source said Asahi, Japan's No.2 brewer after Kirin Holdings, remained interested. Nomura and Rothschild are advising Asahi on this. Asahi declined comment.
Foster's said in May it would split the beer unit from its ailing wine business, putting the beer operations at the centre of takeover talk in the drinks sector.
A takeover of Foster's beer would be the second largest takeover deal in the global food and drinks sector this year, according to Thomson Reuters data.
The takeover talk pushed Foster's shares up more than 7% to their highest level in more than two years, with volume three times the daily average over the past 30 days.
The shares closed up 7.6% at A$6.26.
Suitors gather
A number of potential suitors including SABMiller and Asahi have been looking at the business since Foster's announcement to split its beer and wine operations, two sources said, adding neither had formally decided whether to make an offer.
Responding to media reports, Foster's said on Monday it was not aware of any unannounced information driving the stock.
Analysts value Foster's at around 13 times forecast earnings. However, most of the company's value is locked into the beer operations following a string of writedowns on its underperforming wine business.
"It (a takeover) is probably not too likely in the near future but once separation happens there will be some definite interest," said Daniel Nelson, investment analyst at Constellation Capital, which owns Foster's shares.
"From a margin perspective it is a very profitable market and the cash could be used to fund some of the developing market aspirations."
Sydney-based Gresham Advisory Partners is advising Foster's.
The Australian newspaper reported on Monday that SABMiller had hired JPMorgan and Royal Bank of Scotland as advisers for a potential bid but no decision had been made.
SABMiller owns the brewing rights to Foster's in the United States and in India.
Asahi president Naoki Izumiya said this month he expects to have $9.2bn for acquisitions over the next five years, with eyes on Asia and Oceania.
Japanese brewers have been scrambling to diversify, mainly by overseas acquisitions, to cut their reliance on the local beer market, which has lost 15% in volume in the past decade due to a sputtering economy and shrinking population.