E-Malt.com News article: 4527

Belgium: In connection with its ongoing mandatory tender offer for AmBev common shares (“MTO”), InBev SA/NV (“InBev”) informed the market on March 24 that the settlement date of the stock-for-stock option of the MTO will be accelerated due to, among other developments, recent changes in applicable Brazilian foreign exchange regulations. The terms in capital letters used in this press release and not defined herein have the meaning ascribed to them in the MTO edital published on February 14, 2005 (“Edital”).

Due to, among other developments, the issuance of Resolution n° 3265 by the Brazilian Monetary Council (“CMN”) and of Circular n° 3280 by the Brazilian Central Bank (“BACEN”), on 4 and 9 March 2005 respectively, holders of AmBev common shares deciding to tender their shares in the stock-for-stock option of the MTO and that qualify as Non-Exempted (Brazilian or Foreign) Investors, are no longer required to obtain a prior authorisation from BACEN in order to execute their Non-Cash Foreign Exchange Transactions.

Therefore, InBev will be able to accelerate the settlement date of the stock-for-stock option of the MTO, thereby reducing the 60-90 days period currently provided for in the Edital. In the two days immediately following the Auction and according to the decision of its board to select to deliver either newly issued ordinary shares or already outstanding ordinary shares for payment, InBev will inform the market, through another press release, of the definitive deadlines for the delivery of the required qualification documents and the new settlement date of the stock-for-stock option.

All other requirements applicable, pursuant to the Edital, to such holders and other holders of AmBev common shares tendering their shares in the stock-for-stock option of the MTO, including, without limitation, the remittance of all required documentation to the Intermediary Institution, as well as the remittance to the commercial banks chosen for the execution of the respective Non-Cash Foreign Exchange Transactions of any documents they may request, remain unchanged.

As provided in the Edital, the Auction of the MTO will still take place on 29 March 2005 and the settlement date of the cash option of the MTO remains scheduled for 5 April, 2005.

AmBev’s common shareholders that decide to participate in the stock-for-stock option of the MTO are once more reminded that, pursuant to the Edital, they will not be entitled to the proposed 2004 dividend (€0.39 for each InBev share) that InBev would declare and pay on 27 April 2005.

InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext: INB) based in Leuven, Belgium. The company's origins date back to 1366, and today it is the leading global brewer by volume. InBev's strategy is to strengthen its local platforms by building significant positions in the world's major beer markets through organic growth, world-class efficiency, targeted acquisitions, and by putting consumers first. InBev has a portfolio of more than 200 brands, including Stella Artois®, BRAHMA®, Beck's®, Skol®-the third-largest selling beer brand in the world-Leffe®, Hoegaarden®, Staropramen® and Bass®. InBev employs some 77,000 people, running operations in over 30 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. In 2004, InBev realized a net turnover of 8.57 billion euro (including four months of AmBev).


27 March, 2005