Altria buys UST for $11.7bn

Consolidation has started again.

Altria on Monday announced that it would buy US chewing tobacco maker UST for $11.7bn, in a deal which would help offset Altria's declining US cigarette volumes and boost its position in the tobacco market by expanding its range of alternative tobacco products.

Altria, the owner of Marlboro cigarette maker Philip Morris USA, has tried to build strength in the expanding smokeless tobacco category but has met with little success. UST, which makes Copenhagen and Skoal tobacco and also owns a wine distribution business, is the largest US maker of chewing tobacco.

Altria said in a statement that it was offering to buy in cash all outstanding UST shares at $69.50 each, valuing the deal at approximately $11.7bn, including the assumption of approximately $1.3bn of debt...........

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Top 100 most powerful brand report

top 10 goes to:

01 - Google
02 - GE
03 - Microsoft
04 - Coca-Cola
05 - China Mobile
06 - IBM
07 - Apple
08 - McDonald's
09 - Nokia
10 - Malboro

The combined value of all brands in the BrandZ Top 100 increased by 21%, from $1.6 trillion in 2007 to $1.94 trillion in 2008, more than twice the increase experienced the previous year. Google tops the list again with a brand value of $86.1bn, followed by GE at $71.4bn, and Microsoft at $70.8bn. The biggest risers in the ranking include Apple at $30bn with the biggest dollar increase in the Top 100 list, and BlackBerry, that entered the BrandZ Ranking at number 51 thanks to a brand value increase of 390%.

"trying to make up some story with the brands: Using Microsoft XP on my IBM ThinkPad, searching on Google website, sitting in McDonals, using McDonald's Wifi, searching information on GE through Google, drinking coke(coca cola) from McDonald's, using IBM ThikPad, side by side listening to Apple's iPod, downloading iTunes from Apple's Website, and suddenly got a call on my Nokia mobile, what a coincidence, a person next to my table is smoking a Marlboro cigarette and using a China Mobile mobile phone"

" It means that these global brands have influence in our life and there penetration certainly make them a global brand"

Guys for the full report go to : MillwardBrown