Global acquisitions add to their appeal

Article Excerpt

Expanding by acquisition always adds risk. That’s because new businesses can come with hidden problems that delay or offset the extra revenue and savings they bring. Particularly severe problems could force the buyer to write down the value of the acquired assets. Buying companies in foreign markets adds even more risk, because it exposes the buyer to unpredictable currency moves and political uncertainty. However, when done right, foreign acquisitions can pay off for years to come, as the five companies below demonstrate. MOLSON COORS CANADA INC.(Toronto symbols TPX.A $82 and TPX.B $79; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Consumer sector; Shares outstanding: 185.1 million; Market cap: $14.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.1; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.molsoncoors.com) is the world’s fifth-largest brewer by volume. Beer sales are rising slowly in developed regions like North America. That’s why Molson Coors bought StarBev, which owns nine breweries in central and eastern Europe, for $3.5 billion in June 2012 (all amounts except share…