* Jan-March beer volumes up 3 pct vs 3.3 pct forecast
* Sees emerging market growth offsetting mature market
weakness
* Annual beer volumes up 3 pct, revenue up 7 pct
* Financial performance in line with group expectations
* Shares up 0.3 percent in early trading
By David Jones
LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) – Global brewer SABMiller Plc
reported a 3 percent rise in underlying beer
volumes in the first three months of 2012, as growth in the
emerging markets of Latin America, Africa and Asia offset
declines in Europe and North America.
The world’s No.2 brewer and maker of Miller Lite, Castle and
Peroni beers added on Thursday beer volumes at its
newly-acquired Australian business Foster’s dipped 4 percent in
the first three months of ownership in a tough domestic market.
Big brewers are relying on emerging markets growth and price
rises to offset sluggish growth and tough competition in more
mature markets. SABMiller has a higher proportion of profits
from emerging markets than its key rivals at around 70 percent.
Continued…
