Another write-down charge hits French firm Danone, taking the gloss
off a rise in dairy and beverage sales, as rumours of a take-over
bid by PepsiCo subside, reports Chris Mercer.
US-based PepsiCo has engaged investment banks Morgan Stanley and
UBS to advise on a possible takeover of Danone, the French bottled
water, yoghurt and biscuits group, according to a report today
inthe Financial Times.
Coca-Cola will gain the right to sell Evian in the US after buying
out Danone from their joint venture, while Czech brewer Budejovicky
Budvar scores another victory in the Budweiser trademark war with
Anheuser Busch, reports Chris...
Danone, the French dairy conglomerate, announced today that net
profits had plummeted 62 per cent, following the costly €600
million write down of its water-cooler business last month, Tom
Armitage reports.
Danone's rapid expansion into the home and office delivery (HOD)
bottled water market has given it a global market share to match
that of rival Nestlé in recent years, but the growth has not come
without a price, writes Chris...
French firm Danone has pulled out of the chaotic race to buy
Serbian soft drinks firm Knjaz Milos, warning that it is not
prepared to commit itself in Serbia until there is political and
legal stability for investors, reports Chris...
Danone, the world's second largest bottled water business, stunned
analysts last week by announcing that it will sell its water
activities in Italy - Europe's largest bottled water market. Kim
Hunter Gordon explores why...
French food group Danone has reported steady if unspectacular
growth for the third quarter of the year, with poor weather in much
of northern Europe impacting sales compared to last year's
heatwave-boosted performance.
Danone, the French food group, has bought a stake in the Mexican
water container company Arcos Iris. The group has not stipulated
how much it has paid for the business but has indicated that it now
has the majority stake,writes Danny...
Danone and Suntory are to combine their US home and office delivery
bottled water businesses, a move which will make them the leading
global players and which lays down a challenge to European rival
Nestlé.
Danone's move into the high profit home and office delivery sector
of the bottled water market made little impact on first half
results which were instead reduced by negative exchange rates and
disposals.
Already the world's leading water cooler supplier, France's Danone
has further strengthened its business with the acquistion of the
Canadian firm Sparkling Spring, giving it strong positions in the
UK and the Netherlands...
Danone and its Japanese distributor Mitsubishi join forces with
Kirin to boost sales of the Evian mineral water brand, a deal which
should also boost sales Kirin's Alkali Ion brand.
In an interview with French daily Les Echos on Tuesday,
Franck Riboud, CEO of Groupe Danone, quickly denied accusations
that developments with Coca-Cola were a sign of Danone's defeat in
the US water market.
