Rejection of proposal from Anheuser-Busch InBev

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN, INTO, OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF THAT JURISDICTION

THIS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT FALLING UNDER RULE 2.4 OF THE CITY CODE ON TAKEOVERS AND MERGERS (THE "CODE") AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF A FIRM INTENTION TO MAKE AN OFFER UNDER RULE 2.7 OF THE CODE. THERE CAN BE NO CERTAINTY THAT ANY FIRM OFFER WILL BE MADE OR AS TO THE TERMS ON WHICH ANY FIRM OFFER MIGHT BE MADE

7 October 2015

SABMiller plc ("SABMiller", the "Company")

Rejection of proposal from Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ("AB InBev")

The Board of SABMiller has now met formally to consider the new proposal announced by AB InBev today (the "GBP 42.15 Proposal" as defined in the announcement by SABMiller earlier today). The Board, excluding the directors nominated by Altria Group Inc., has unanimously rejected the GBP 42.15 Proposal as it still very substantially undervalues SABMiller, its unique and unmatched footprint, and its standalone prospects.

This statement is being made by SABMiller without the prior agreement or approval of AB InBev.

Enquiries

SABMiller plc +44 (0) 20 7659 0100

Christina Mills, Director, Group Communications +44 (0) 20 7659 0105

+44 (0) 7825 275605

Gary Leibowitz, Director, Investor Relations +44 (0) 7717 428540

Richard Farnsworth, Group Media Relations +44 (0) 7734 776317

Robey Warshaw +44 (0) 20 7317 3900

Simon Robey

Simon Warshaw

J.P. Morgan Cazenove +44 (0) 20 7777 2000

John Muncey

Dwayne Lysaght

Morgan Stanley +44 (0) 20 7425 8000

Henry Stewart

Paul Baker

Goldman Sachs +44 (0) 20 7774 1000

Gilberto Pozzi

Mark Sorrell

Finsbury +44 (0) 20 7251 3801

Faeth Birch

James Murgatroyd

Linklaters LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP are providing legal advice to SABMiller.

Important notices relating to financial advisers

Robey Warshaw LLP ("Robey Warshaw"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, is acting as joint financial adviser to SABMiller and no one else in connection with the contents of this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than SABMiller for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in connection with the contents of this announcement or any matter referred to in this announcement.

J.P. Morgan Limited, which conducts its UK investment banking businesses as J.P. Morgan Cazenove ("J.P. Morgan Cazenove"), is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority. J.P. Morgan Cazenove is acting as joint financial adviser exclusively for SABMiller and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement and will not regard any other person as its client in relation to the matters in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than SABMiller for providing the protections afforded to clients of J.P. Morgan Cazenove, or for providing advice in relation to any matter referred to herein.

Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc ("Morgan Stanley") which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the UK is acting as joint financial adviser to SABMiller and no one else in connection with the matters set out in this announcement. In connection with such matters, Morgan Stanley, its affiliates and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents will not regard any other person as their client, nor will they be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to their clients or for providing advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein.

Goldman Sachs International ("Goldman Sachs"), which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for SABMiller and no one else in connection with the matters referred to in this announcement and will not be responsible to anyone other than SABMiller for providing the protections afforded to clients of Goldman Sachs, or for providing advice in connection with the contents of this announcement or any other matter referred to herein.

Disclosure requirements of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

Under Rule 8.3(a) of the Code, any person who is interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of an offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror (being any offeror other than an offeror in respect of which it has been announced that its offer is, or is likely to be, solely in cash) must make an Opening Position Disclosure following the commencement of the offer period and, if later, following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. An Opening Position Disclosure must contain details of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror(s). An Opening Position Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(a) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the commencement of the offer period and, if appropriate, by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the 10th business day following the announcement in which any securities exchange offeror is first identified. Relevant persons who deal in the relevant securities of the offeree company or of a securities exchange offeror prior to the deadline for making an Opening Position Disclosure must instead make a Dealing Disclosure.

Under Rule 8.3(b) of the Code, any person who is, or becomes, interested in 1% or more of any class of relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror must make a Dealing Disclosure if the person deals in any relevant securities of the offeree company or of any securities exchange offeror. A Dealing Disclosure must contain details of the dealing concerned and of the person's interests and short positions in, and rights to subscribe for, any relevant securities of each of (i) the offeree company and (ii) any securities exchange offeror, save to the extent that these details have previously been disclosed under Rule 8. A Dealing Disclosure by a person to whom Rule 8.3(b) applies must be made by no later than 3.30 pm (London time) on the business day following the date of the relevant dealing.

If two or more persons act together pursuant to an agreement or understanding, whether formal or informal, to acquire or control an interest in relevant securities of an offeree company or a securities exchange offeror, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3.

Opening Position Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company and by any offeror and Dealing Disclosures must also be made by the offeree company, by any offeror and by any persons acting in concert with any of them (see Rules 8.1, 8.2 and 8.4). 

Details of the offeree and offeror companies in respect of whose relevant securities Opening Position Disclosures and Dealing Disclosures must be made can be found in the Disclosure Table on the Takeover Panel's website at http://www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk, including details of the number of relevant securities in issue, when the offer period commenced and when any offeror was first identified. If you are in any doubt as to whether you are required to make an Opening Position Disclosure or a Dealing Disclosure, you should contact the Panel's Market Surveillance Unit on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

Publication on Website

A copy of this announcement will be made available on www.sabmiller.com by no later than 12 noon (London time) on 8 October 2015.

You may request a hard copy of this announcement by contacting SABMiller's company secretary on +44 (0) 1483 264000. You may also request that all future documents, announcements and information to be sent to you in relation to the offer should be in hard copy form.