Sawt Falasteen - Pernod says Brown-Forman talks 'ongoing' after reported rival offer

Pernod unveiled in March talks for a "merger of equals" to create a global spirits leader built around their flagship brands, including Absolut Vodka and Jameson whiskey.

But the company declined to comment directly on reports of a rival Brown-Forman offer from the US spirits group Sazerac, during its presentation of quarterly sales to end-March.

"Discussions are ongoing, so at this stage, I have no further comments to make, "Helene de Tissot, Pernod's vice president for finance, said during a conference call with analysts.

"As stated, we did not intend to communicate further until either an agreement is reached or discussions are terminated," she added.

Contacted by AFP, both Brown-Forman and Sazerac declined to comment.

Pernod and Brown-Forman confirmed their talks in March, saying they aimed for a "merger of equals" to combine Brown-Forman's iconic brands with its own distribution strength and exposure to higher-growth markets.

Their merger would create a major industry force as alcohol consumption weakens worldwide.

The discussions come as the alcohol sector faces a difficult global environment, with consumption falling among younger drinkers and new tariffs -- particularly in the United States -- hurting major producers.

Pernod reported Thursday a 14.6 percent drop in sales for its financial third quarter to end-March, to 1.95 billion euros ($2.3 billion)

The group was hit by lower sales to China and the United States amid trade wars that have ratcheted up tariffs, as well as a strong euro that makes Pernod brands more expensive on global markets.

W.AbuLaban--SF-PST