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 Thursday January 3 2002
In memoriam Alfred Heineken
It is with great sadness that the Management Board of Heineken Holding N.V. and the Executive Board of Heineken N.V. announce that this evening Dr. Alfred H. Heineken died peacefully at home in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, at the age of 78. The company mourns the loss of a man who, on 1 June 1942 at the age of 18, first came to work at the brewery which his grandfather had acquired in 1864.

Monday December 3 2001
Heineken tipped as Carling candidate once again
US private investment company Blackstone and Dutch brewer Heineken have pushed aside US drinks group Constellation Brands as major candidate-buyers of UK brew Carling, UK Sunday papers reported. South African Breweries is also thought to want to bid for Carling in order to avoid a takeover by Carling owner Interbrew, the Belgian brewer.

Monday November 26 2001
Heineken will lose for Carling
US brewer Constellation Brands has made a GBP1.35bn bid for UK brewer Carling Brewers. Through this bid, the US company trumps rivals such as Heineken in the battle for the subsidiary of UK brewer Bass. Belgian owner Interbrew has been forced to sell Bass because it will have too dominant a market position otherwise.

Tuesday November 6 2001
Alfred Heineken will step down
Heineken Holding N.V. announces that Mr. A.H. Heineken has expressed the wish to step down as chairman and delegated member of the Management Board of Heineken Holding N.V. at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, to be held on 25 April 2002. Mr. M. Das will succeed Mr. Heineken as chairman. A proposal will be submitted to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to appoint Mrs.

Proposed appointments Supervisory Board of Heineken NV
Heineken N.V. announces that Mr. R. Hazelhoff and Mr. L. van Vollenhoven will step down as chairman respectively member of the Supervisory Board because of the age limit, at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders of Heineken N.V. to be held on 25 April 2002. Mr. A. Maas has expressed the wish to resign as member of the Supervisory Board of Heineken N.V.

Thursday October 18 2001
Response of Heineken Holding to Enterprice Chamber decision
Heineken Holding has acknowledged with approval the decision of the Enterprise Chamber of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. In the decision the Enterprise Chamber refuses the request for an investigation made by Profima Trust S.A. and Consolidated Finance and Investment Company Holding S.A., and therefore also deems their criticism of Heineken Holding's policy on the discount between the Heineken Holding N.V.

Tuesday October 16 2001
Heineken NV net profit increase for 2001 to be at least 12%
When announcing the half-year results of Heineken N.V. on 12 September 2001, the dramatic events in the United States of the previous day, prevented Heineken from issuing a concrete profit forecast for the full year 2001. The Executive Board now announces that Heineken N.V. expects an increase in net profit before extraordinary results of at least 12% for the year 2001, provided that no major deterioration in international affairs occurs.

Wednesday September 12 2001
Heineken Holding 2001 interim result: EUR 175 mln
The result of Heineken Holding N.V.'s participating interest in Heineken N.V. for the first half of 2001, including extraordinary income received by Heineken N.V., turned out at EUR 175 mln, compared with EUR 125 mln in the same period last year. Heineken N.V.'s profit on ordinary activities for the first half of 2001 was 20% higher.

Ruys to succeed Vuursteen next year as chairman Executive Board of Heineken NV
The Supervisory Board and the Executive Board of Heineken N.V. announced that Karel Vuursteen (60), chairman of the Executive Board, will retire in April 2002. The Supervisory Board has appointed Anthony Ruys (54), currently vice chairman, as his successor. The succession will take place on 25 April 2002 at the General Meeting of Shareholders.

Heineken continues solid growth with net profit increase of 20%
An interim dividend of EUR 0.16 per share of EUR 2.00 nominal value will be paid on 24 September 2001. Heineken shares will be quoted ex-interim-dividend on 13 September 2001. Based on existing insights Heineken expected net profit growth from ordinary activities for the whole of 2001 to be at least 15%.

Tuesday September 4 2001
Public offer for Heineken Espana
Heineken N.V. has decided to make a public offer on the outstanding shares of Heineken Espa¤a S.A. The offer price will be EUR 7.50. The closing price on the Madrid stock exchange on Monday 3 September 2001 was EUR 5.67 which results in a premium of 32%. In comparison with the average price during the last three months (EUR 5.97) the premium is 25%.

Wednesday August 22 2001
Heineken: sale of Alcazar will not affect employment
Heineken has given assurances that the sale of its Alcazar brand will not result in job cuts at its Jaen plant in southern Spain, which has a 200-strong workforce. This brand is included in the package of brands which the brewer must sell as a requirement for the Spanish restrictive practices service to approve its merger with Spanish brewer Cruzcampo.

Heineken beer is leader in Italy
Partesa, the Italian wholesale drinks distributor which is part of Heineken Italia, the Italian subsidiary of the Dutch giant, has acquired about 70 small and medium-sized businesses in Italy over the last seven years. Heineken Italia has a turnover of L1,300bn, while Partesa generates revenues of around L400bn. Heineken has a 33% share of the Italy's beer distribution market, followed by Italian drinks group Peroni with a 25.8% share.

Wednesday June 6 2001
Exceptional profit Heineken NV
GeoLogic Consulting Services B.V. with its offices in Leiden provides a range of geological and geophysical consulting as well as information and data services to the upstream oil and gas industry, mainly in Europe but also in selected overseas territories. The acquisition will strengthen Fugro's services to the oil and gas market in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries and will provide synergies with Fugro's seismic data acquisition and processing businessline.

Friday June 1 2001
Heineken transfers factories to Damm
Heineken Espana, the Spanish arm of the Dutch brewery Heineken has transferred two production and bottling plants in Madrid and El Puig (Valencia) to Spanish brewery Damm. Heineken Espana has also transferred its assets as well as the Skol, Keler, Estrella del Sur, Victoria, Calatrava and Oro brands and their derivatives.

Monday May 14 2001
Heineken loses EUR 25 mln from the sale of Spanish plants
Heineken Espana, the Spanish subsidiary of the Dutch brewer, has not done well from the sale of the Madrid and Valencia plants of its Cruzcampo subsidiary to Damm, another Spanish brewer. Although the price of the operation is not known, Heineken Espana has made a 25m euro (Pta4.159bn) provision from its 2000 results for "losses made from the sale of plants".

Friday March 2 2001
Heineken light for Bass
Heineken said it may be interested in making an offer for Bass Brewers if Interbrew sells the division as a whole. Speaking following the release of the company's full-year figures, Heineken chief executive Karel Vuursteen, above, noted that the divestment of parts of the company individually would 'complicate' the matter.

Share split for ING and Heineken
Both Dutch bank ING Groep and Dutch brewery Heineken have announced at the presentation of annual figures that they want to split shares. The Heineken board will propose to the general meeting of shareholders on April 26 to split four existing shares with a nominal value of EUR 2.50 each into five new shares with a nominal value of EUR 2.00 each.

Heineken enters South America
Heineken expects to acquire a majority stake in Brazilian brewer Kaiser this year. In terms of sales, Kaiser will be the largest subsidiary of Heineken, with annual sales of 12 million hectolitres. Heineken has been in talks about an expansion of its 14% stake in Kaiser with other owners Coca-Cola (10 per cent) and Coca-Cola's local bottling plants (76 per cent) for several months.

Thursday March 1 2001
Heineken net profit increase by 20% to EUR 621 mln
Heineken N.V. increased its net profit in 2000 to EUR 621 mln, an increase of 20% compared with 1999. Net profit per share increased from EUR 1.65 to EUR 1.98. Operating profit increased by 15.3% to EUR 921 mln. Net turnover showed an increase of more than 13%. Heineken expects net profit to continue to rise in 2001.

Thursday February 22 2001
Heineken with Bayerische Brauholding AG in Partnership
Heineken N.V. and the Bayerische BrauHolding (BBH) signed an agreement to set up a joint venture company. Through this partnership Heineken will acquire a minority stake in two German groups of breweries and will undertake to export Paulaner Weiss beer worldwide. Bayerische BrauHolding, a member of the Schoerghuber Corporate Group, and Heineken will develop the international potential of the German premium brand Paulaner Weiss beer through Heineken's sales and distribution network.

Wednesday February 21 2001
Heineken: Joint Press Conference with Schorghuber Corporate Group
Heineken N.V. and the Sch”rghuber Corporate Group, announce that a joint press conference will be held on Thursday, 22 February, 2001 at 10.30 a.m. in the Atlanta Room of the ArabellaSheraton Grand Hotel Mnchen, Arabellastrasse 6 in Munich (Germany). On Thursday, 22 February, at 8.30 a.m. CET Heineken will issue a press release concerning the talks in which the two parties were engaged.

Tuesday February 20 2001
Heineken in line for Romanian acquisition
Heineken is in line to buy Romania's Timisoara-based beer producer Timisoreana, the Romanian press reported on Tuesday. Also in the running is the Austrian concern Brau Beteiligungs (BBAG) in a deal that is estimated to reach between USD 15 mln and USD 20 mln. BBAG already operates in the Romanian market and could become the market leader in the local brands if it clinched the deal. Timisoreana holds a 4.5% share of the Romanian beer market with sales in 2000 of 58.5m litres.

Friday February 16 2001
Heineken will acquire less than 49% of German brewery
A prospective stake of Heineken in the beer division of German group Schorghuber Gruppe will amount to less than 49%. Schorghuber Gruppe announced this on Thursday, following Heineken's announcement that it would like to negotiate a stake. A Schorghuber spokesperson says that the size and the nature of the stake have not yet been decided upon.

Wednesday February 14 2001
Heineken in talks with Schorghuber about possible co-operation
Heineken N.V. is currently in talks with the Sch”rghuber Corporate Group about the possibility of acquiring a minority stake in the brewing activities of the Sch”rghuber Corporate Group and to explore the possibility of international co-operation with regard to the export of Weiss beer from the Bavarian region in Germany. Both parties have agreed that they will refrain from comments until an agreement has been reached.

Wednesday January 3 2001
Heineken says will keep options open regarding new bid for Bass
Heineken is "keeping its options open" with respect to any new bid for Bass Brewers in the new situation which has arisen after the UK government ordered Interbrew SA to sell the UK brewing operations, said Heineken spokesman Albert Holtzappel. "We always stated that we will keep our options open and this has not changed", he said, but declined to elaborate on what the options are.

Friday December 15 2000
Nomination two new members Executive Board Heineken
The Supervisory Board of Heineken N.V. will propose to the Annual General Shareholders Meeting the appointment, as from 1 May 2001, of Mr M.J. Bolland (41) and Mr J.F.M.L. van Boxmeer (39) to the Executive Board. The Annual General Shareholders Meeting will be held on 26 April 2001. Marc Bolland, currently Director Export, has already worked fourteen years within the Heineken Group, in various commercial and management functions.

Wednesday December 13 2000
Heineken acquires majority in Nigerian Breweries
Heineken N.V. yesterday notified Nigerian Breweries. that it will exercise the option of converting it's loan to Nigerian Breweries, into equity on 15 December, 2000. This will bring the stake from 43.3% to 54.2% after the conversion. The convertible loan stock, which was open to all shareholders, was approved by the Annual General Shareholders Meeting of Nigerian Breweries in June 2000.

Tuesday November 14 2000
Habsburgs fight Heineken Poland
The Habsburg family won more time from a court in poland to proceed with its claim to ownership is 50% owned by Heineken. The family was forced to hand over the brewery to the communist Polish state following the second war. But the Habsburgs say that Zywiec was never officially in the hands of the government and the family now wants the EUR 350 mln brewery back. The Habsburgs are also claiming compensation of EUR 178 mln for 50 years of lost profits.

Tuesday October 3 2000
Heineken says Kaiser ceo's resignation not tied to take over bid
The resignation of Humberto Pandolpho as chief executive of Brazilian brewer Cervejarias Kaiser is not connected to a bid by Heineken for Kaiser, according to Heineken spokesman Albert Holtzappel. Heineken is in "exploratory talks" to raise its 14.2% stake in Kaiser, but it is unclear as to whether Kaiser shareholders Coca-Cola Co and its local bottler are interested in selling, Holtzappel said.

Friday September 15 2000
Heineken H1 profit up 19%
Heineken, the world's second-biggest brewer, said Friday its first-half profit rose 19%, propelled by higher beer sales, positive results from newly acquired companies, and the stronger dollar. The Dutch beer maker said net profit for the six months ended June 30 rose to EUR 249 mln from EUR 210 mln a year earlier.

Heineken may buy Swiss group
Heineken said on Friday it was in talks that could lead to a takeover of Feldschlosschen-Hurlimann, Switzerland's biggest brewer. Karel Vuursteen, the Dutch company's chairman, would not say what stage talks had reached. Feldschlosschen-Hu rlimann put itself up for sale in March after an internal study concluded it was not big enough to compete in the fast consolidating European beer industry.

Thursday September 7 2000
Heineken Espana may reduce Cruzcampo workforce
Heineken Espana, the Spanish subsidiary of Dutch brewer Heineken which controls the Cruzcampo and El Aguila beer companies, will this month present a restructuring plan to the Cruzcampo workforce which may result in redundancies. Management has still not revealed the contents of the plan to employees, despite the existence of a guarantee which prevents the company from imposing unilateral change without negotiating with staff.

Monday August 7 2000
Singapore brewer buys China Beer Group
Singapore's Asia Pacific Breweries, a joint venture between Heineken and Singapore's Fraser & Neave, has acquired two beer brands and brewery operations in Hainan, China, from Malaysia's Hap Seng Consolidated for USD 12.2 mln. Asia Pacific Breweries said in a statement Monday that it has acquired the exclusive rights to the Aoke and Kronen trademarks.

Monday July 17 2000
Heineken new chief executive officer for USA unit
Heineken N.V. on Monday announced that it has named Frank Van der Minne as President and Chief Executive Officer of its Heineken USA unit. Van der Minne is a 25-year veteran of the Heineken Group, serving most recently as Director in Central and Eastern Europe, based in Amsterdam. Before that, he held various international positions in the Asia Pacific region, was General Manager of Murphy Brewery in Ireland and Export Director in Amsterdam.

Thursday June 15 2000
Heineken seen focusing on premiums in UK
Heineken will shift its focus to the high-margin export beer market in Britain after losing the fight for Bass' brewing activities to Interbrew, analysts said on Thursday. Unlisted Belgian Interbrew announced on Wednesday it would pay 2.3 billion sterling (USD 3.46 bn) for the Bass' brewing operations, a figure analysts said was too high for Heineken based on the potential synergy benefits.

Friday May 26 2000
Heineken acquires a 50% stake in Affligem Brouwerij
Heineken on Friday announced that it acquired a 50% stake in Affligem Brouwerij BDS N.V. (formerly Brouwerij De Smedt N.V.), established in Opwijk, Belgium. The brewery mainly produces the abbey beer, Affligem. The Affligem Abbey, owner of the brand, has been brewing this beer since the eleventh century.

Tuesday April 4 2000
Cruzcampo receives offers for plants
Cruzcampo said on Tuesday that the company had already received offers to purchase the Madrid, Valencia and Arano production plants, which it has been forced to sell following the purchase of Cruzcampo by Dutch beer group Heineken. Piero Perron, the chairman of Spanish brewer Cruzcampo, guaranteed that no jobs would be lost as a result of the sale.

Monday March 27 2000
Heineken no plans to offer hotel ops
Heineken said the company has no plans to offer its hotel operations as part of its bid for Bass' brewing operations. That follows a report in Sunday Business that Heineken is considering offering its 24% stake in Krasnapolsky Hotels, valued at about GBP 80 mln, as a sweetener to its bid for Bass brewing.

Friday March 24 2000
EU inspectors raid breweries
European Commission inspectors raided the headquarters of large breweries in the Netherlands and Italy this week as part of a widening cartel investigation. Raids were made on Heineken's corporate headquarters in Amsterdam and Heineken Nederland in Zoeterwourde, as well as Interbrew, Grolsch and Bavaria in the Netherlands.

Thursday March 23 2000
Carlsberg targets Heineken in Poland
Carlsberg AS will market itself more aggressively in Poland, and its Okocim unit will start a beer "war" against the larger and stronger competitors, mainly Heineken and South African Breweries, daily Berlingske Tidende wrote, citing the company. Heinken is reported to have a 30.4% of the Polish market, while Okocim's market share fell to 5.7% in the first two months of this year from 7.4% for the whole of 1999, it added.

Tuesday March 21 2000
Heineken sells Spanish ops to El Aguila
Heinenken said it agreed to sell its Spanish unit Heineken Espana to El Aguila for EUR 165 mln. Heineken has a 71.3% interest in El Aguila and Heineken Espana holds 98.74% of Cruzcampo SA, it said in a statement. An El Aguila EGM will convene on April 14 to vote on a capital increase to finance the transaction, it added. The 165 mln peur price tag equals the amount Heineken Espana paid to Diageo for Cruzcampo.

Thursday March 9 2000
Heineken fights for Bass
The battle to take control of Bass's brewing operations intensified on Thursday when Heineken said it would bid for the group to preserve its number one position in Europe. Announcing a 16% profit increase for 1999, Karel Vuursteen, Heineken chairman, said the group had to grow by acquisition in an industry where consumption growth was limited.

Thursday March 2 2000
Heineken eyes Bass Brewery
Heineken said on Thursday that it was in the bidding process for Bass' brewery operations. Heineken chairman Karel Vuursteen said "a purchase of Bass would fit in our strategy." Bass' popular beer brands include Bass Ale and Carling lager. But he cautioned a purchase "would depend on the premium the market would demand if we were to get caught up in a war with other bidders." Britain's Bass said last month it was considering selling its breweries to focus more on its Holiday Inn and other hotel holdings and expanding its pub chains.

Heineken 1999 net up 16%
Heineken on Thursday posted a 16% rise in net profit for 1999. Europe's largest brewer reported net earnings of 1999 of EUR 516 mln (USD 505 mln) from 445 million a year earlier. Operating profit climbed 21% to EUR 799 mln and sales rose 14% to EUR 7.15 bn. Heineken said its European sales rose 14% last year, against a backdrop of just 2% growth in the global beer market in terms of volume.

Friday January 28 2000
Heineken in beer probe
European Commission officials have begun a probe of Dutch brewer Heineken and French food company Danone, citing suspicions they ran a price-fixing cartel in France's beer market, a EU spokesman said Friday. EU officials searched the Paris offices of Heineken and Danone, and also the offices of Danone's Kronenbourg brewing unit in Strasbourg, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Heineken bids for DB Group
Heineken announced on Friday that it has launced a bid for the 41.6% free floating shares of New Zealand's DB Group through Asia Pacific Breweries (ABP), Heineken's Singapore-based joint venture with Fraser & Neave. The total bid amounts to EUR 60 mln and will be financed by APB. Heineken consolidates APB proportionally for 50%.

Heineken finalises Cruzcampo takeover
Heineken said on Friday that it has finalised the acquisition of Cruzcampo. Heineken will integrate Cruzcampo and El Aguila, which it acquired in 1986. Cruzcampo, headquartered in Seville, has five breweries. The company produced six million hectolitres of beer in 1998. Turnover in 1998 was EUR 465 mln.

Tuesday January 18 2000
Heineken in internet deal with Agency.com
US internet company Agency.com said on Tuesday that it is to work out all aspects of Heineken's global e-business strategy. Agency.com said it begain its relationship with Heineken in April of 1999, providing consulting and development services on a number of interactive endeavors. Agency.com said it would continue to work with Heineken to provide the next phase of their e-business strategy.

Monday December 27 1999
Heineken must cut production by 17% in Spain
The Spanish competition authorities said on Monday that Heineken must cut its production capacity in Spain by 17% in order to take over the Spanish group Cruzcampo. This would mean the closure of one or two of its breweries, sales of regional beer brands and the end of exclusivity deals with distributors.

Monday December 20 1999
Heineken to cut Spanish production
Heineken will have to swallow a cut of about one-sixth in its production and storage facilities in Spain and sell several brands to comply with Spanish government orders after its acquisition of the Seville-based Cruzcampo brewery, the Financial Times reported on Monday. Heineken won a race to buy an 88% stake in Cruzcampo from Diageo of the UK in June for EUR 539 mln.

Heineken interested in UK-based Bass
On Sunday The Scotland publicated that Heineken may be interested in acquiring UK-based Bass's brewery operations. Heineken declined to comment on the rumour that it is in secret talks with Bass, which reportedly no longer sees its brewery activities as part of its core business. The rumour surfaced two weeks ago following the presentation of Bass's annual figures, during which it emerged that the company plans to minimise investment in its brewing operations.

Friday December 17 1999
Heineken gets green light on Cruzcampo
Heineken announced on Friday that it has received approval of the Spanish Council of Ministers for the purchase of Cruzcampo. The merger between El Aguila, in which Heineken holds a 72% stake, and Cruzcampo will create the number one beverage company in Spain. Heineken is to fulfill some conditions of the Spanish government, it said.

Thursday December 16 1999
Heineken expands in Slovakia
Heineken announced on Thursday that reached an agreement with the Slovak group KK Company Pivovary to obtain a 51% interest in the Slovak breweries Martiner and Gemer. Heineken currently has a market share of 25% in Slovakia with its bands Zlaty Bazant and Corgon, Heineken said. The addition of Martiner and Gemer will increase Heineken's market share to 37%.

Wednesday December 15 1999
Heineken to sell in Spain for takeover
Heineken is to sell one or more breweries in Spain in order to takeover Spanish group Cruzcampo. The Spanish competition authority told Heineken that Heineken's market share would be excessive in certain regions of Spain. Heineken, which currently holds a 37% market share in Spain with stakes in 7 breweries in the country, would increase its market share in Spain to 61% with the Cruzcampo (24% narket share) takeover.

Tuesday November 2 1999
Heineken sales soar in US
Heineken, the world's second-largest brewer in sales terms, said on Tuesday US sales of its premium import beer had grown by 8-10% this year, indicating a healthy industry after a domestic shake-up. He said a price war between domestic brewers in the US last year had forced some medium-sized players to drop out, and prices had climbed again.

Thursday October 7 1999
SAB beats Heineken in Czech deal
South African Breweries (SAB) is taking over a 51% stake in the Czech brewing combine Pilsner Urquell-Radegast, for which also Dutch brewer Heineken was in the race. SAB is paying USD 321 mln for the stake and has an option to buy the remainder of the shares for USD 308 mln. Heineken said the price asked by the Japanese owner, bank Nomura, was too high.

Thursday September 30 1999
Heineken under pressure in Spain
The Spanish anti-cartel authority has reported that the acquisition of Cruzcampo by Heineken would give the Dutch brewer a too dominant position in several regions of southern Spain, according to Madrid daily El Pais. A monopolies tribunal has three months to study the report and could order Heineken to sell off activities.

Wednesday September 29 1999
Czech brewer favours takeover by Heineken
Randall Dillard, who has been appointed director of Czech brewing group Plzensky Prazdroj and Radegast, said the brewing group is a 'perfect fit for Heineken'. Dillard said that Heineken's commitment to export was a major criterium in the selection process for a buyer for the Czech brewing group. Heineken is already market leader in the neighbouring countries of Poland and Slovakia.

Wednesday September 22 1999
Heineken eyes Czech brewers
Heineken confirmed on Wednesday it is considering bidding for Czech brewers Plzensky Prazdroj and Radegast. The two brewers are currently owned by Japanese investment bank Nomura, which aims to sell the brewers by mid-November. The Czech brewers have a market share of about 44% and booked combined net profit of USD 2.5 mln un turnover of USD 250 mln in 1998.

Thursday September 9 1999
Heineken acquires stake in Israeli brewer
Heineken announced on Thursday that it has acquired a 35% stake in a holding with the Israeli Beer/Bornstein Group. This holding company owns a majority stake of 50.8% in Beer Tempo Industries, of which the largest brewery in Israel is a part. Through this transaction Heineken indirectly acquires a 17.8% stake in Tempo.

Wednesday September 8 1999
Heineken sees Asia, Latin America as growth markets
Heineken said on Wednesday it was targeting Far East and Latin American markets for future growth as European beer sales stagnate. Heineken chairman Karel Vuursteen said future growth would be generated partly by acquisitions and partly organically. He said a continued growth in sales to the United States, where Heineken is one of the leading import brands, would also contribute.

Heineken reports H1 net up 10%
Heineken said acquisitions helped propel net profits a hefty 10.5% in the first half and expected full year 1999 earnings to grow by at least as much. The brewer posted first-half net earnings of EUR 210 mln, up from 190 million in the year-earlier half, on 9% higher turnover of EUR 3.39 bn. Excluding acquisitions, however, sales were largely static and the figures were treated to a cold shower on the Amsterdam bourse.Heineken said the bulk of sales growth -- 8% -- reflected its consolidation of newly-acquired companies, particularly in Poland, where it holds a majority stake in Zywiec and bought BrewPole last December.

Heineken H1 net profit up 10%
Heineken reported on Wednesday net profit for the first-half of 1999 increased 10% to EUR 210 mln, compared with net profit of EUR 190 mln the company booked in the comparible period of 1998. Turnover increased 9% from EUR 3,103 mln to EUR 3,390 mln. Operating income increased 15% from EUR 307 mln to EUR 353 mln.

Friday August 27 1999
Carlsberg in Spanish alliance talks
Danish brewer Carlsberg is in talks with three Spanish brewers -- Mahou, San Miguel and Damm -- to form an alliance which is seen as a move to stop Heineken's growing market share on the Spanish beer market. Heineken took over Spanish brewer Cruzcampo earlier this month and now controls 37% of the local market. The three Spanish brewers Carlsberg is talking with control 45% of the Spanish market.

Wednesday August 18 1999
Heineken's Cruzcampo takeover at risk
Heineken's planned takeover of Spanish brewer Cruzcampo has become uncertain after the European Commission ruled that the Spanish government is to decide whether the acquisition can go ahead. The Spanish government fears that Heineken's market position will become too dominant, especially in the Andalusia region. The Spanish government demanded the right to review Heineken's activities in Spain, which has now be granted by the European Commission.

Thursday July 29 1999
Heineken's Cruzcampo takeover delayed
Heineken's takeover of Spanish brewer Cruzcampo is waiting for a decision by European competetion commissioner Karel van Miert whether the Spanish competetion authorities should evaluate the deal. The Spanish government wants to conduct its own investigation on the deal, which would probably postpone the acquisition for several months.

Thursday July 22 1999
UK drinks makers to highlight alcohol content
Britons worried about abusing alcohol will soon be able to keep an easier tally of what they drink through clearer labelling, a drinks company said on Thursday. The makers of some of the country's favourite drinks -- such as Guinness and Heineken beers, Bacardi rum and Johnny Walker whisky -- are to introduce little bottle- or can-shaped icons on labels to show how many units of alcohol are inside.

Tuesday June 29 1999
Heineken increases Spanish stake
Heineken has increased its stake in Spanish brewer Cruzcampo to almost 99% after taking over a 10.15% stake in Cruzcampo from its Danish rival Carlsberg. Carlsberg sold its stake in Cruzcampo to British food and drinks company Diageo, which then passed the shares on to Heineken. Earlier this month Heineken bought Diageo's 88% stake in Cruzcampo. Heineken is now the leading brewer in Spain with a market share of around 40%.

Wednesday June 16 1999
Coca-Cola Beverages to merge with Greek rival
Coca-Cola Beverages, one of the largest soft drinks bottlers in Europe, is to merge with Hellenic Bottling Company. Hellenic Bottling Company is a partner of Heineken. The USD 6.8 bn takeover by Hellenic Bottling comes less than a year after Coca-Cola Beverages (CCB) was spun off from Australia's Coca-Cola Amatil.

Thursday June 10 1999
Heineken buys stake in Spanish brewery
Heineken has agreed to pay USD 919 mln in cash for Diageo's majority stake in Spain's biggest brewery. The British food and drinks conglomerate said Thursday that it will earn a profit of USD 105 mln on the sale of its 88 percent share in Cruzcampo. Cruzcampo accounts for a quarter of all beer sold in Spain, the third-largest beer market in the European Union.

Tuesday May 11 1999
Heineken aims at 100% stake in Swiss subsidiary
Heineken wants to acquire all shares in Swiss brewery group Calanda Haldengut. Heineken currently holds a 89% shareholding in the group. Heineken now has made an offer for the shares of the two bourse listed units Calanda Brau and Brauerie Haldengut it does not already own. The value of the offer is NLG 25.4 mln.

Thursday April 22 1999
Heineken working on Cruzcampo takeover
Heineken expects to have a clearer picture 'within the next few weeks' on its planned takeover of Cruzcampo of Spain. Heineken intends to merge Cruzcampo with its Spanish subsidiary El Aguila. The combine would control 40% of the Spanish beer market.

Wednesday April 21 1999
Heineken looks at barge transport
Heineken said on Wednesday it was looking into the idea of building a harbour on the river Rhine near its Zoeterwoude operations so that some raw materials could be moved by barge.

Monday April 12 1999
Heineken, toppled by Corona, aims at Spanish-speakers
Heineken , still reeling from being toppled by Mexico's Corona as the No. 1 imported beer in America, on Monday launched an advertising campaign aimed at the Spanish-speaking U.S. population. The Dutch brewer, which last year said it was unconcerned by Corona's in-roads north of the border, said the USD 11 mln campaign includes TV commercials on Spanish-language stations in New York, the Florida cities of Orlando, Tampa and Miami, Philadelphia, Providence, R.I., Boston and Hartford, Conn.

Friday April 9 1999
Heineken on verge of Spanish acquisition
Heineken is about to acquire Spanish brewer Cruzcampo, according to media reports. It would be just a matter of days before the acquisition wouold be finalised. Spanish business paper Cinco Dias said there would be no obstacles to the takeover. The takeover would boost Heineken's Spanish market share to 40.1%.

Wednesday March 3 1999
Heineken sees 1999 profit growth slowing
Heineken said on Wednesday it expected a temporary slowdown in the growth of the world beer market, but added premium beers and specialty brands would buck the trend. The Heineken brand and our other premium and specialty brands will benefit from this growth and so improve the group's average margin, Heineken said in a statement. Cost control, expansion in existing markets and acquisitions would also make a contribution to earnings growth.

Heineken net profit up 29%
Heineken reported on Wednesday net profit for 1998 increased 29% to NLG 981 mln, compared with net profit of NLG 761 mln the company booked in the comparible period of 1997. Turnover increased 2% from NLG 13,512 mln to NLG 13,823 mln. Operating income increased 21% from NLG 1,203 mln to NLG 1,453 mln.

Monday March 1 1999
Heineken loses more US market
Heineken has lost further market share to Mexican brewers in the US, according to the latest US import figures. Mexican beer increased its market share from 30.8% to 35.3%. Total beer imports to the US grew 15% while the import of Mexican beer grew 32%.

Monday February 8 1999
Heineken steps up US marketing
Heineken is to double its marketing efforts in the Us, its biggest export market, to USD 42 mln this year. The new campaign is the most aggressive marketing offensive ever mounted by the Dutch brewer abroad and will be led by Michael Foley, president of Heineken USA. Two weeks ago the campaign started with a direct attack on Anheuser-Busch, which leads the US market with its Budweiser brand. Heineken spends about NLG 55 mln on Dutch media advertising a year, of which 75% goes to television.

Monday January 18 1999
Heineken not to bid for South African Breweries
Heineken NV has pulled out of the bidding to acquire a 29% stake in South African Breweries, Heineken chairman Karel Vuursteen told the Financial Times. Vuursteen said there were too many political and economic uncertainties in South Africa, where SAB has more than two-thirds of its profits and assets, the newspaper said.

Thursday January 14 1999
Heineken to start USD 43 mln advertising campaign
Heineken USA said Thursday it will launch an advertising campaign weighing in at USD 42 mln, or roughly double last year's media spending, in a move to add fizz to its beer sales. The beer importer said that the campaign, created by New York's Lowe & Partners/SMS, will be heavily skewed to television and debut during pro football playoff broadcasts on Sunday.

Thursday December 17 1998
Heineken changes crate colour
Heineken is to replace its yellow crates with green ones from next year. A spokesman said that consumer studies had shown that green was more popular than yellow. The spokesman added that green was also more suitable in view of the colour of the Heineken label. The decision to introduce the new colour coincides with the replacement of all 11 million creates currently in circulation.

Friday December 11 1998
Heineken subsidiary APB hit by Asian crisis
Heineken subsidiary Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) reports net profit for its 1997/98 fiscal year fell 19% from NLG 89 mln to NLG 72 mln. Sales decreased with NLG 3 mln to NLG 1.6 bn. Heineken consolidates APB's figures for 50% in its holding figures.

Tuesday December 8 1998
British Heineken ad stirs commotion
British brewer Brewers Whitbread have withdrawn an advertising campaign for Heineken lager making light of Jesus Christ's birth, following protests from Christians. The ads featured a traditional nativity scene complete with three wise men, shepherds, and a star of Bethlehem shining above. But Joseph was depicted rushing out of the stable proclaiming: "It's a girl." Now Whitbread has scrapped the campaign after it was criticised by church leaders.

Wednesday October 21 1998
Heineken acquires stake in Pivara Skopje
Heineken announced on Wednesday that it has acquired a stake in Pivara Skopje, the largest brewery in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Pivara Skopje will be acquired through Brewinvest, a 50/50 joint venture of Athenian Brewery -- Heineken's fully owned Greek subsidiary -- and the Greek soft drinks company, Hellenic Bottling Company.

Monday October 19 1998
Heineken deals get Polish consent
Today Heineken announced that the Polish regulatory agencies in Warsaw have approved the merger between the breweries Zaklady Piwowarskie w Zywcu (Zywiec) - in which Heineken holds a 75% stake - and Brewpole, the holding company for Elbrewery, Warka Brewery and Lezajsk Brewery. The approval is subject to certain conditions, including the accessibility of the distribution network to competitors, minimum purchases from Polish hop suppliers and the maintenance of the Polish beer brands involved.

Friday September 11 1998
Heineken H1 net profit up 28%
Heineken reported on Friday net profit for the first-half of 1998 increased 28% to NLG 418.0 mln, compared with net profit of NLG 326.0 mln the company booked in the comparible period of 1997. Turnover increased 5% from NLG 6,523.0 mln to NLG 6,837.0 mln. Operating income increased 26% from NLG 535.0 mln to NLG 675.0 mln.

Tuesday June 9 1998
Heineken acquires stake in Brewpole
Heineken announced it has acquired a 9.6% stake in Brewpole, owner of the Polish breweries Elbrewery and Lezajsk. The acquisition of the shares is part of the plan to merge Brewpole and Zywiec, in which Heineken holds a 75% stake. The merger will involve eight Polish breweries with a total 1997 sales volume of nearly 7 million hectolitres, 3,500 employees and a net turnover of more than PLN 1 bn (USD 300 mln).

Friday June 5 1998
Heineken's mandatory bid for Zywiec
Heineken today announced that it has launched a mandatory offer for all the remaining shares in the Polish brewery Zywiec at a price of PLN 327 per share. Under Polish law, Heineken has a legal obligation to make this offer because it now has a shareholding of more than 50% in Zywiec. Heineken presently holds a 75% stake in the Polish brewery.

Tuesday May 26 1998
Heineken Reaches 75% Shareholding in Zywiec
Heineken is to raise its stake in the Polish brewery Zywiec from 50% to 75%. This increase is due to the successful outcome of its tender offer for a further 25% of Zywiec's shares, made by Heineken on April 20, 1998. The increased shareholding in Zywiec represents an investment of approximately NLG 150 mln. As previously agreed with the Polish Securities Commission, Heineken will sell any shares tendered exceeding the 75% level.

Thursday May 14 1998
Heineken brewery in Jakarta plundered
The Heineken brewery near Jakarta was plundered on Thursday. The Multi Bintang brewery is located in a vast industrial park in Tangerang. 'All companies located there -- indonesian-owned and foreign -- were heavily plundered. The situation is chaotic', said a Heineken spokesman in Amsterdam. Multi Bintang's entire beer stock, computers and office supplies as well as food from its canteen were taken by rioters.

Thursday April 23 1998
Shell asks Heineken for strategy
Shell's pension fund has asked Heineken for a clearer insight into Heineken's long-term plans for expansion and development. Heineken and Philips shares account for a signigicant portion of the pension fund's portfolio, and fund managers were hoping the company would provide them with a more concrete vision of earnings expected in the coming years.

Monday April 20 1998
Heineken launches new bid for Zywiec
Heineken has launched a new bid for a further 25% of the shares in Polish brewer Zywiec, in which it already has a 50% stake. The size of the bid, around NLG 207 a share, is the same as Heineken offered in January.

Thursday April 16 1998
Heineken 75% stake in Zywiec approved
Heineken has received approval from the Polish authorities to increase its stake in Polish brewer Zywiec from 50% to 75%. Earlier attempts of Heineken to increase its stake were blocked by the Polish authorities. The Polish securities commission had been concerned that Heineken would delist the brewing group from the Warsaw stock exchange. Heineken has undertaken not to do so.

Friday March 13 1998
Heineken reports net profit up 16%
Heineken reports net profit for 1997 increased with 16% to NLG 761 mln, compared with NLG 655 mln the company booked in 1996. Turnover increased with 11% from NLG 12.2 bn to NLG 13.5 bn. Operating result rose 19% to NLG 1.2 bn, compared with NLG 1.01 bn for 1996. Earnings per share increased with 16% from NLG 13.06 to NLG 15.18.

Monday March 9 1998
Heineken acquires 50% stake in Zywiec
Heineken announced it has increased its stake in Polish brewer Zywiec from 31.8% to 50% as a result of its public tender offer on January 30. Heineken had to accept only 41% for the shares tendered to Heineken to raise its stake to 50%. Heineken offered a price per share of 345 Zloty (NLG 202). The total value of the transaction comes to 188 mln Zloty (NLG 110 mln). Heineken initally wanted 75% of the shares, but the Polish authorities refused to give Heineken permission.

Wednesday February 25 1998
Heineken not giving up on Zywiec
Heineken has not given up in its efforts to acquire a 75% stake in Polish brewery group Zywiec. Heineken is working on a public offer to increase its stake to 50%, but is still aiming for a 75% stake. Heineken says the other 25% should remain in Polish hands to keep the Polish consumers involved.

Thursday January 29 1998
Heineken receives approval for 50% stake in Zywiec
Heineken has received approval from the Polish authorities to increase its stake in Polish brewer Zywiec to 50%. Heineken was aiming for a 75% stake in Zywiec, but this was blocked by the Polish authorities. Heineken says it is surprised the Polish authorities blocked a higher stake of Heineken in Zywiec.

Wednesday January 21 1998
Heineken forecasts lower earnings from Indonesian operations
Heineken forecasts lower earnings from its Indonesian operations as a result of the financial crisis in Asia. Heineken still expects to meet its forecast of more than 10% higher net profit for 1998. The Asia- Pacific region is an important component in Heineken's earnings, accounting for NLG 1.5 bln of Heineken's total turnover of NLG 12.2 bln in 1996.

Hebels Financial Website believes the information herein was obtained from reliable sources but does not guarantee its accuracy. Neither the information nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation of the purchase or sale of securities, derivatives or commodities. © 2002 Hebels Financial Website