AB InBev Shows Rivals How to Swing Cost Axe as Activists Circle
- Brewer leads Nestle, Procter & Gamble in boosting profits
- Activists Loeb, Peltz take aim at consumer-goods giants
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Anheuser-Busch InBev NV set a high bar for other consumer-product companies seeking to boost profitability through cost cuts as they try to keep activist investors at bay.
The world’s largest brewer said it’s generating profit-boosting savings from last year’s $104 billion takeover of rival SABMiller at a faster pace than expected, spearheading an efficiency drive by packaged-goods companies ranging from Nestle SA to Unilever to Procter & Gamble Co.