Stockholm, Feb. 6 - The Swedish government is continuing its selling process of Vin & Sprit, maker of Absolut vodka, despite news that drinks maker Diageo PLC (DEO) hasn't made a bid for the company, a government spokeswoman said Wednesday.
"The government is analyzing offers," said spokeswoman Mia Widell, who wouldn't comment specifically on the Diageo news. "The ambition is to have an agreement sometime in 2008. We're hoping it doesn't drag out too long."
Earlier Wednesday, Diageo said it was forming a joint venture with the owners of the Ketel One vodka at a cost of $900 million, abandoning its interest in the wholly state-owned Swedish vodka maker which the government has put up for sale.
Drink makers Fortune Brands Inc. (FO), Bacardi International Ltd. and Pernod Ricard SA (12069.FR) have confirmed submitting bids for V&S, which analysts value at around 35 billion Swedish kronor ($5.4 billion) to SEK50 billion. Swedish investment company Investor AB (INVE-B.SK) and private equity firm EQT have also bid interested, according to a person familiar with the bidding process.
"The fewer interested buyers the government has, the more the risk you don't get the best price," said SEB credit strategist Louis Landeman Wednesday after he heard that Diageo wasn't interested.
Still, Landeman pointed out that due to political sensitivity, it's not necessarily the highest price that will win the bidding.
"The government will want bidders to show they have a good, long-term solution for the company," he said, adding plans for jobs in Sweden will be given particular attention.
Sweden's center-right government is looking sell SEK200 billion in state-owned assets during its four year mandate, started in September 2006.
It put V&S together with five others companies on a shortlist of assets its looking to selloff first.
Diageo already sells Smirnoff premium vodka and Ciroc vodka, which sits in the ultra-premium segment. Ketel One is currently the number-four super premium vodka brand with a 14% share. Absolut is the market leader with 39%.
Widell said late January the current financial market turmoil won't likely have a big effect on the V&S sale due to the strength of the Absolut brand.
Market-watchers say Fortune is regarded as a potential front-runner because it already distributes Absolut in the U.S. and is part of a joint venture with V&S to distribute the vodka overseas.
If any other player buys Absolut, it will have to pay a penalty to break the distribution agreements. Dresdner Kleinwort estimates that could cost as much as 300 million.
Since Fortune wouldn't have to pay such penalties, it could potentially afford to pay a higher price for V&S.
The disposal of V&S would continue global consolidation in the liquor industry. Over the past several years, Allied Domecq was sold to rival Pernod Ricard, Grey Goose vodka to Bacardi, and Glemorangie Scotch to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA.