South Africa: AB InBev’s first year on Johannesburg stock exchange about to end well down on its debut price

Anheuser-Busch InBev is in line to end its first year on the Johannesburg stock exchange well down on its debut price, according to a report.

The company, which listed on South Africa's main bourse on 15 January ahead of its US$103 bln takeover of SABMiller, is down about 27% in the year so far, South Africa's Business Day said on December 15. Accounting for currency fluctuations, which have hampered trading in South Africa this year, the AB InBev stock is down 15% in dollar terms.

AB InBev has been hit by weakness in a number of markets this year including Brazil, where a third-quarter volumes drop dragged down the nine-month performance. Analysts have also highlighted a stalled US as well as pressure in China and Mexico.

The SABMiller takeover was targeted at expanding AB InBev's presence in Africa. The Budweiser owner's listing on the Johannesburg stock exchange was partly to show the brewer's commitment to the market and to appease South African anti-trust regulators.

At the time, CEO Carlos Brito said the listing "will provide us with access to the South African investor base and broaden participation in AB InBev's strong prospects for future growth".

14 December, 2016