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S&N rejects Carlsberg bid

Published:  23 July, 2008

Britain's largest brewer, Scottish & Newcastle, has rejected a hostile takeover bid by Danish rival Carlsberg, saying it had plans to expand its business in Asia.

S&N, which makes Kronenbourg, John Smith's and Strongbow, said it would not recommend to shareholders anything less than a 10 billion cash offer ot a merger in which its shares continued to trade in London.

Carlsberg chairman Povl Krogsgaard-Larsen said his company had the finances to buy out S&N from its lucrative eastern European business Baltic Beverage Holding for between 3 billion and 4 billion.

Owning 100% of BBH would allow Carlsberg to increase the marketing of its Carlsberg and Tuborg lagers in Russia.

An S&N spokesman emphasised the company's growth prospects in India and China and said management was "happy with the status quo", in jointly owning BBH with Carlsberg.

S&N shares rose 1.2% in morning trading to 619.5p.

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