Heineken ups stake in United Breweries; buys shares worth Rs 152 crore

New Delhi: Heineken International BV, the maker of Heineken beer, has increased its stake in United Breweries by buying shares worth Rs 152 crore in an open market transaction today.[caption id="attachment_2925834" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. AFP[/caption]The shares were purchased from private sector lender Yes Bank.According to block deals data available with BSE, Heineken International bought 18,54,785 shares, or 0.7 per cent stake, in UBL.The shares were bought at an average price of Rs 819.5 apiece, valuing the transaction at Rs 152 crore. United Breweries Ltd (UBL) makes Kingfisher Beer.As on June 30, Heineken held 43.02 per cent stake in UBL through three companies - Heineken International B V, Heineken UK Ltd and Scottish & Newscastle India Ltd.While Scottish & Newscastle India Ltd held 34.04 per cent stake in the firm, Heineken International B V held 5.77 per cent and Heineken UK Ltd held 3.21 per cent.Heineken had indirectly acquired 37.5 per cent stake in UBL following its worldwide takeover of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) in January, 2008. Following the deal, Heineken has been raising stake in UBL through open market transactions.