THE International Breweries Plc said it has gotten the approval of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission to proceed with the issuance of an N588.28bn Rights Issue to shareholders.
Investopedia described the ‘Right Issue’ as an invitation to existing shareholders to purchase additional new shares in the company.
The company disclosed this in a statement signed by its Secretary, Marian Reginald-Ukwuoma, on Wednesday, May 22.
It stated that the rights issue would offer 161,172,395,100 ordinary shares at two Kobo each at N3.65 per share valued at N588.28 billion.
“International Breweries Plc is pleased to notify its esteemed Shareholders, Stakeholders, Nigerian Exchange Limited, and the general public, that the Company has obtained approval from the Securities Exchange Commission to offer to the shareholders the proposed Rights Issue of 161,172,395,100 Ordinary Shares of 2 Kobo each at N3.65 Per Share, based on six (6) new ordinary shares for every one (1) existing ordinary share held,” International Breweries stated.
It said the qualification date for the rights issue was May 2, 2024, while the application list opened on May 21 and would close on June 10.
Shareholders of International Breweries had in February this year approved the company’s request to raise additional equity capital through a rights issue to existing shareholders.
The rights issue will help the company re-strategize its operations buffeted by the foreign exchange unification, which led to huge revaluation losses reported last year.
International Breweries has been facing escalating financial losses over the past half-decade, as reported by The ICIR in August 2023 that the consumer goods company despite revenue posted losses across various margins.
In its 2023 financial results, the company posted a loss after tax of N87.64 billion from the N26.84 billion loss reported in 2022.
Its loan portfolio also stood at N374.34 billion. Notably, a $424 million loan from Citi Bank in 2018, with an outstanding balance of $389.08 million (2022: $309 million), was rolled over in 2021 for an additional three-year period.
The move to raise the rights issue is a strategic plan to address its financial difficulties.
At its Extraordinary General Meeting in April, the company proposed and received approval for a shareholder convertible loan of $379.9 million from AB InBev Nigeria Holdings BV to repay the Citi Bank loan.
The funds from the shareholder loan are to be used for any shares subscribed to by AB InBev Nigeria Holdings BV in the company’s Rights Issue.