UK: Carlsberg welcomes `opening' from S&N's Dunsmore

Carlsberg A/S welcomed comments from Scottish & Newcastle Plc Chief Executive Officer John Dunsmore signaling that the U.K. brewer is open to an offer, Danish newswire Direkt said, citing a Carlsberg spokesman, Bloomberg posted December 27th.

``If we're looking at a more open stance, then that's good news,'' Jens Peter Skaarup told the Copenhagen-based newswire. Carlsberg believes it has already made a good offer for the brewer, the newswire said.

Dunsmore told workers he may have to start talks with Carlsberg and Heineken NV if they make a significantly higher offer for the brewer, the Scotsman reported Dec. 24, citing an internal memo to staff. Carlsberg and Heineken have made an informal offer to pay 750 pence per S&N share and must make any formal bid by no later than Jan. 21, the U.K.'s merger regulator said Dec. 17.

The proposed bid is ``a good offer,'' Skaarup said in an interview with Bloomberg.

27 December, 2007