Consteiiation Brands offerBRL Hardy Limited {ASX : BRL) will...

Consteiiation Brands offer
BRL Hardy Limited {ASX : BRL) will emerge as pug ofthe world’s largesl wine btlsiness Llnder
an hUD$1.9 billion merger proposal announced today by major US-based beverage alcohol
company, Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B).
As part of lhe merger proposal, lhe BRL Hardy allcl Constellation Brads wine operalions would
be combined to form a separate global wine bminess - Constellalion Wines - within the
Constellalion Brands, Inc. group.
Complelion of the merger would create the world’s largest wine business with nine key
operating divisions around the world and tola1 anntml wine sales of‘ more than AUD$3 billion.
The proposed BRL Hardy-Constellalion Bra~lds merger, which would be ell’ected lhrough a
Scheme of Arrangement, includes an ofyer to BRL Hardy shareholders of $10.50 for each of
their shares - either:
+ All cask
+ All scrip, or
+ Any combination of‘ cash and scrip
The price ofyered is on the basis lhat no ha1 dividend will be paid.
A cask offer is also proposed for all BRL Hardy optionholders, based on the $10.50 per share
offer price.
The $10.50 per share offer represents a premium of 37% to BRL Hardy’s closing ASX price of
$7.67 on Monday 13 J a n w r y 2003, the day befbre the merger discussions were announced to the
ASX.