AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 12, 2001
Registration Statement No. 333-_________
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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM S-3
Registration Statement
Under the
Securities Act of 1933
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ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware 43-1162835
(State or other jurisdiction (IRS Employer
of incorporation or organization) Identification No.)
One Busch Place
St. Louis, Missouri 63118
(Address of principal executive offices) Registrant's
telephone number including area code:
(314) 577-2000
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JoBeth G. Brown Copies to:
Vice President and Secretary Denis P. McCusker, Esq.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. Bryan Cave LLP
One Busch Place One Metropolitan Square, Suite 3600
St. Louis, Missouri 63118 St. Louis, Missouri 63102
314-577-2000 314-259-2455
(Name and address of agent for service) Fax 314-259-6580
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time
to time after the Registration Statement becomes effective.
If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered
pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following
box: /_/
If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on
a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of
1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest
reinvestment plans, please check the following box: /X/
If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering
pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box
and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier
effective registration statement for the same offering. /_/_____
If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c)
under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act
registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement
for the same offering. /_/_____
If delivery of the prospectus is expected to be made pursuant to Rule 434,
please check the following box. /X/
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of each Amount Amount of
class of securities to be registration
to be registered Registered fee
-------------------------------- ---------------------- ------------------------
Debt Securities $1,000,000,000 $250,000
================================ ====================== ========================
The Registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or
dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrant shall
file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration
Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of
the Securities Act of 1933 or until this Registration Statement shall become
effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a),
may determine.
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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We
may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the
Securities and Excjamge Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer
to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these
securities in any state where the offer is not permitted.
================================================================================
SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED JULY 12, 2001
PROSPECTUS
[GRAPHIC OMITTED]
$1,000,000,000
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Debt Securities
-------------------------------------
This Prospectus describes Debt Securities which Anheuser-Busch Companies,
Inc. may issue and sell at various times. More detailed information is under
"Description of Securities."
o The Debt Securities may be debentures, notes or other unsecured
evidences of indebtedness.
o We may issue them in one or several series.
o The total principal amount of the Debt Securities to be issued under
this Prospectus will not exceed $1,000,000,000 (or the equivalent
amount in other currencies).
o We will determine the terms of each series of Debt Securities
(interest rates, maturity, redemption provisions and other terms) at
the time of sale, and we will specify the terms in a Prospectus
Supplement which we will deliver together with this Prospectus at the
time of the sale.
We may sell Debt Securities directly to investors or through underwriters,
dealers or agents. More information about the way we will distribute the Debt
Securities is under the heading "Plan of Distribution." Information about the
underwriters or agents who will participate in any particular sale of Debt
Securities will be in the Prospectus Supplement relating to that series of Debt
Securities.
Our principal office is at One Busch Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63118, and
our telephone number is (314) 577-2000.
-------------------------------------
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities
commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or passed upon the
adequacy or accuracy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a
criminal offense.
The date of this Prospectus is _________, 2001.
We have not authorized anyone to give any information or to make any
representations concerning the offering of the Debt Securities except those
which are in this Prospectus or in the Prospectus Supplement which is delivered
with this Prospectus, or which is referred to under "Where You Can Find More
Information." If anyone gives any other information or representation, you
should not rely on it. This Prospectus is not an offer to sell or a solicitation
of an offer to buy any securities other than the Debt Securities which are
referred to in the Prospectus Supplement. This Prospectus is not an offer to
sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy Debt Securities in any circumstances
in which the offer or solicitation is unlawful. You should not interpret the
delivery of this Prospectus, or any sale of Debt Securities, as an indication
that there has been no change in our affairs since the date of this Prospectus.
You should also be aware that information in this Prospectus may change after
this date.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Contents.................................2
Where You Can Find More Information...............2
Information About Anheuser-Busch..................3
Use of Proceeds...................................3
Description of The Debt Securities................4
General........................................4
Payments On Debt Securities; Transfers.........5
Form and Denominations.........................5
Certain Restrictions...........................5
Modification Or Amendment of The Indenture.....7
Defeasance.....................................8
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver...........8
Regarding The Trustee..........................9
Book-Entry Debt Securities.......................10
Plan of Distribution.............................11
Legal Opinion....................................12
Experts..........................................12
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other
information with the SEC. You may read and copy any of these documents at the
SEC's public reference room in Washington, D.C. Please call the SEC at
1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our SEC
filings are also available to the public at the SEC's Internet website at
http://www.sec.gov. The SEC allows us to incorporate by reference the
information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important
information to you by referring you to those documents.
The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this
Prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically
update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents
listed below and any future filings made with the SEC under Sections 13(a),
13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 until we sell all of
the Debt Securities.
o Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000.
o Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31,
2001.
You may receive a copy of any of these filings, at no cost, by writing or
telephoning the Corporate Secretary, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., One Busch
Place, St. Louis, Missouri 63118, telephone 314-577-2000.
We have filed with the SEC a Registration Statement to register the Debt
Securities under the Securities Act of 1933. This Prospectus omits certain
information contained in the Registration Statement, as permitted by SEC rules.
You may obtain copies of the Registration Statement, including exhibits, as
noted in the first paragraph above.
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INFORMATION ABOUT ANHEUSER-BUSCH
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. ("Anheuser-Busch") is a Delaware corporation
that was organized in 1979 as the holding company parent of Anheuser-Busch,
Incorporated ("ABI"), a Missouri corporation whose origins date back to 1875. In
addition to ABI, which is the world's largest brewer of beer, we are also the
parent corporation to a number of subsidiaries that conduct various other
business operations, including those related to the production and acquisition
of brewing raw materials, the manufacture and recycling of aluminum beverage
containers and the operation of theme parks.
These are our most important subsidiaries:
o ABI produces and distributes beer in a variety of containers primarily
under the brand names Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Dry, Bud Ice, Bud Ice
Light, Michelob, Michelob Light, Michelob Golden Draft, Michelob
Golden Draft Light, Michelob Black & Tan Lager, Michelob Amber Bock,
Michelob Honey Lager, Michelob Hefe-Weizen, Busch, Busch Light, Busch
Ice, Natural Light, Natural Ice, King Cobra, Red Wolf Lager,
ZiegenBock Amber, Hurricane Malt Liquor, Hurricane Ice, Pacific Ridge
Ale, Tequiza, "Doc" Otis Lemon, "Doc" Otis Apple, Killarney's and
Michelob Marzen. ABI's products also include three non-alcohol malt
beverages, O'Doul's, Busch NA and O'Doul's Amber.
o Anheuser-Busch International, Inc. brews and distributes ABI's
products in twenty-nine European countries and sells under import
distribution agreements in more than 80 countries and U.S. territories
and to the U.S. military and diplomatic corps outside the continental
United States. Through subsidiaries, it owns breweries in the United
Kingdom and China. Our products are also brewed under license or
contract brewing arrangements in Argentina, Canada, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Spain. We have equity investments or
joint ventures with brewers in Argentina, Chile and Mexico.
o Metal Container Corporation manufactures beverage cans at eight plants
and beverage can lids at three plants for sale to ABI and to soft
drink and export customers. Anheuser-Busch Recycling Corporation
recycles aluminum cans. Precision Printing and Packaging, Inc.
manufactures metalized and paper labels.
o Busch Entertainment Corporation ("BEC") owns, directly and through
subsidiaries, theme parks and entertainment facilities. BEC operates
Busch Gardens theme parks in Tampa, Florida and Williamsburg,
Virginia, Sea World theme parks in Orlando, Florida, San Antonio,
Texas, and San Diego, California and its newest park, Discovery Cove,
in Orlando, Florida. BEC also operates water park attractions in
Tampa, Florida (Adventure Island) and Williamsburg, Virginia (Water
Country, U.S.A.) and an educational play park for children near
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Sesame Place).
USE OF PROCEEDS
Unless we indicate otherwise in the Prospectus Supplement which accompanies
this Prospectus, we intend to add the net proceeds from the sale of the Debt
Securities to our general funds. We expect to use the proceeds for general
corporate purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and
repayment of borrowings. Before we use the proceeds for these purposes, we may
invest them in short-term investments.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE DEBT SECURITIES
This section describes some of the general terms of the Debt Securities.
The Prospectus Supplement describes the particular terms of the Debt Securities
we are offering. The Prospectus Supplement also indicates the extent, if any, to
which these general provisions may not apply to the Debt Securities being
offered. If you would like more information on these provisions, you may review
the Indenture which is filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement which
is filed with the SEC. See "Where You Can Find More Information."
We will issue the Debt Securities either under the Indenture dated as of
July 1, 2001 between us and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee, or under a
separate, substantially identical indenture to be entered into between us and a
new trustee. We are summarizing certain important provisions of the Debt
Securities and the Indenture. This is not a complete description of the
important terms. You should refer to the specific terms of the Indenture for a
complete statement of the terms of the Indenture and the Debt Securities. When
we use capitalized terms which we do not define here, those terms have the
meanings given in the Indenture. When we use references to Sections, we mean
Sections in the Indenture.
General
The Debt Securities will be senior unsecured obligations of Anheuser-Busch.
The Indenture does not limit the amount of Debt Securities that we may
issue under the Indenture, nor does it limit other debt that we may issue. We
may issue the Debt Securities at various times in different series and issues,
each of which may have different terms. The word "issue" means, for any series
of Debt Securities, that the securities have the same original issue date or
date from which interest starts to accrue, the same maturity date and the same
interest rate and other payment terms or that the Company has otherwise
designated securities as part of the same issue. Unless we indicate otherwise in
the Prospectus Supplement for any series or issue, we may treat a subsequent
offering of Debt Securities as a part of the same issue as that series or issue.
The Prospectus Supplement relating to the particular series of Debt
Securities we are offering includes the following information concerning those
Debt Securities:
o The title of the Debt Securities.
o The total principal amount of the series or issue of Debt Securities.
o The date on which the principal and interest will be paid, the rights
we or the holders may have to extend the maturity of the Debt
Securities and any rights the holders may have to require payment of
the Debt Securities at any time.
o The interest rate on the Debt Securities. We may specify a fixed rate
or a variable rate, or a rate to be determined under procedures we
will describe in the Prospectus Supplement, and the interest rate may
be subject to adjustment.
o The dates on which we will pay interest on the Debt Securities and the
regular record dates for determining the holders who are entitled to
receive the interest payments.
o Where payments on the Debt Securities will be made, if it is other
than the office mentioned under "Payments on Debt Securities" below.
o If applicable, the prices at which we may redeem all or a part of the
Debt Securities and the time periods during which we may make the
redemptions. The redemptions may be made under a sinking fund or
otherwise.
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o Any obligation we may have to redeem, purchase or repay any of the
Debt Securities under a sinking fund or otherwise or at the option of
the holder, and the prices, time periods and other terms which would
apply.
o Any additional Events of Default or covenants that will apply to the
Debt Securities.
o The amounts we would be required to pay if the maturity of the Debt
Securities is accelerated, if it is less than the principal amount.
o If we will make payments on the Debt Securities in any currency other
than U.S. dollars, the currencies in which we will make the payments.
o If applicable, the terms under which we or a holder may elect that
payments on the Debt Securities be made in a currency other than U.S.
dollars.
o If amounts payable on the Debt Securities may be determined by a
currency index, information on how the payments will be determined.
o Any other special terms that may apply to the Debt Securities.
Payments on Debt Securities; Transfers
We will make payments on the Debt Securities to the persons in whose names
the securities are registered at the close of business on the record date for
the interest payments. As explained under "Book-Entry Securities" below, The
Depository Trust Company or its nominee will be the initial registered holder
unless the Prospectus Supplement provides otherwise.
Unless we indicate otherwise in the Prospectus Supplement, we will make
payments on the Debt Securities at the trustee's office. For The Chase Manhattan
Bank, the office is now its Corporate Trust Office, 450 West 33rd Street, New
York, New York 10001. In the case of any other trustee, we will specify the
office and address in the Prospectus Supplement or in an attachment thereto.
Transfers of Debt Securities can be made at the same offices. (Sections 202,
301, 306 and 1002)
Form and Denominations
Unless we otherwise indicate in the Prospectus Supplement:
o We will only issue the Debt Securities of each series or issue in
registered form without coupons in denominations of $1,000 and any
integral multiple thereof.
o We will not charge any fee to register any transfer or exchange of the
Debt Securities, except for taxes or other governmental charges, if
any. (Section 306)
Certain Restrictions
Creation of Secured Indebtedness
Under the Indenture, we and our Restricted Subsidiaries (defined below) may
not create, assume, guarantee or permit to exist any indebtedness for borrowed
money which is secured by a pledge of, or a mortgage or lien on, any of our
Principal Plants (defined below) or on any of our Restricted Subsidiaries'
capital stock, unless we also provide equal and ratable security for the Debt
Securities. A "Restricted Subsidiary" is a Subsidiary which owns or operates a
Principal Plant, unless it is incorporated or has its principal place of
business outside the United States, and any other subsidiary which we elect to
treat as a Restricted Subsidiary. A "Principal Plant" is a brewery, or a
manufacturing, processing or packaging plant located in the United States, but
does not include a plant which we determine is not of material importance to the
total business conducted by us and our Subsidiaries, any plant which we
determine is used primarily for transportation, marketing or warehousing or at
5
our option any plant that does not constitute part of the brewing operations of
the Company and has a net book value of not more than $100,000,000.
This restriction does not apply to:
o purchase money liens,
o liens existing on property when we acquire it or securing indebtedness
which we use to pay the cost of acquisition or construction or to
reimburse us for that cost,
o liens on property of a Restricted Subsidiary at the time it becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary,
o liens to secure the cost of development or construction of property,
or improvements of property, and which are released or satisfied
within 120 days after completion of the development or construction,
o liens in connection with the acquisition or construction of Principal
Plants or additions thereto financed by tax-exempt securities,
o liens securing indebtedness owing to us or to a Restricted Subsidiary
by a Restricted Subsidiary,
o liens existing at July 1, 2001 (the date of the Indenture),
o liens required in connection with state or local governmental programs
which provide financial or tax benefits, as long as substantially all
of the obligations secured are in lieu of or reduce an obligation that
would have been secured by a lien permitted under the Indenture,
o extensions, renewals or replacements of the liens referred to above,
or
o in connection with sale-leaseback transactions permitted under the
Indenture. (Section 1006(a))
There is an additional exception as described below under "10% Basket
Amount."
If we become obligated to provide security for the Debt Securities as
described above, we would also be required to provide comparable security for
most of our other outstanding indebtedness.
Sale-Leaseback Financings
Under the Indenture, neither we nor any Restricted Subsidiary may enter
into any sale and leaseback transaction involving a Principal Plant, except a
sale by a Restricted Subsidiary to us or another Restricted Subsidiary or a
lease not exceeding three years, by the end of which we intend to discontinue
use of the property, and except for any transaction with a local or state
authority that provides financial or tax benefits, unless:
o the net proceeds of the sale are at least equal to the fair market
value of the property, and
o within 120 days of the transfer we repay Funded Debt (defined below)
and/or make expenditures for the expansion, construction or
acquisition of a Principal Plant at least equal to the net proceeds of
the sale. (Section 1007)
There is an additional exception as described below under "10% Basket
Amount."
Limitation on Funded Debt of Restricted Subsidiaries
We may not permit any Restricted Subsidiary to create, assume or permit to
exist any Funded Debt other than:
o Funded Debt secured by a mortgage, pledge or lien which is permitted
under the provisions described above under "Creation of Secured
Indebtedness,"
o Funded Debt owed to us or any Restricted Subsidiary,
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o Funded Debt of a corporation existing at the time it becomes a
Restricted Subsidiary,
o Funded Debt created in connection with, or with a view to, compliance
with the requirements of any program, law, statute or regulation of
any federal, state or local governmental authority and applicable to
the Restricted Subsidiary and providing financial or tax benefits to
the Restricted Subsidiary, and
o guarantees existing at July 1, 2001 (the date of the Indenture).
(Section 1008(a))
There is an additional exception as described below under "10% Basket
Amount."
"Funded Debt" means all of our indebtedness for money borrowed, including
purchase money indebtedness, having a maturity of more than twelve months from
the date of determination or having a maturity of less than twelve months but by
its terms being renewable or extendible beyond twelve months at our option,
subject only to conditions which we are then capable of fulfilling, and direct
guarantees of similar indebtedness for money borrowed of others and any other
indebtedness we classify as long-term indebtedness in our financial statements,
except that Funded Debt does not include:
o Any indebtedness of a person held in treasury by that person; or
o Any indebtedness with respect to which sufficient money has been
deposited or set aside to pay the indebtedness; or
o Any amount representing capitalized lease obligations; or
o Any indirect guarantees or other contingent obligations in respect of
indebtedness of other persons; or
o Any guarantees with respect to lease or other similar periodic
payments to be made by other persons.
10% Basket Amount
In addition to the exceptions described above under "Creation of Secured
Indebtedness," "Sale-Leaseback Financings" and "Limitation on Funded Debt of
Restricted Subsidiaries," the Indenture allows additional secured indebtedness,
additional sale-leaseback financings and additional Funded Debt of Restricted
Subsidiaries as long as the total of the additional indebtedness and Funded Debt
and the fair market value of the property transferred in the additional
sale-leaseback financings does not exceed 10% of our Net Tangible Assets. "Net
Tangible Assets" means our total assets including those of our subsidiaries
after deducting current liabilities (except for those which are Funded Debt) and
goodwill, trade names, trademarks, patents, unamortized debt discount and
expense, organization and developmental expenses and other like segregated
intangibles. Deferred income taxes, deferred investment tax credit or other
similar items will not be considered as a liability or as a deduction from or
adjustment to total assets. (Sections 1006(d), 1007(c) and 1008(b))
Merger
We may consolidate with or merge into any other corporation or transfer or
lease our properties and assets substantially as an entirety as long as we meet
certain conditions, including the assumption of the securities by any successor
corporation. (Section 801) The Company is not restricted from transferring its
aluminum can manufacturing business and related operations.
Modification or Amendment of the Indenture
We may modify and amend the Indenture if the holders of a majority in
principal amount of the outstanding Debt Securities affected by the modification
or amendment consent, except that no supplemental indenture may reduce the
principal amount of or interest or premium payable on any Debt Security, change
7
the maturity date or dates of principal payments, the interest payment dates or
other terms of payment, or reduce the percentage of holders necessary to approve
a modification or amendment of the Indenture, without the consent of each holder
of outstanding Debt Securities affected by the supplemental indenture. (Section
902)
We and the trustee may amend the Indenture without the holders' consent for
certain specified purposes, including any change which, in our counsel's
opinion, does not materially adversely affect the holders' interests. (Section
901)
Defeasance
The Indenture includes provisions allowing defeasance of the Debt
Securities of any series. In order to defease Debt Securities, we would deposit
with the Trustee or another trustee money or U.S. Government Obligations
sufficient to make all payments on those Debt Securities. If we make a
defeasance deposit with respect to your Debt Securities, we may elect either:
o to be discharged from all of our obligations on your Debt Securities,
except for our obligations to register transfers and exchanges, to
replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Debt
Securities, to maintain an office or agency in respect of the Debt
Securities and to hold moneys for payment in trust; or
o to be released from our restrictions described above relating to
liens, sale-leaseback transactions and Funded Debt of Restricted
Subsidiaries.
To establish the trust, we must deliver to the Trustee an opinion of our
counsel that the holders of the Debt Securities will not recognize gain or loss
for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the defeasance and will be
subject to Federal income tax on the same amount, in the same manner and at the
same times as would have been the case if the defeasance had not occurred.
(Article Thirteen)
Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
An Event of Default in respect of any issue of Debt Securities means:
o default for 30 days in any payment of interest;
o default in payment of principal or premium at maturity, or default in
payment of any required redemption or sinking fund amount which
continues for 30 days;
o default in performance of or breach of any covenant in the Indenture
which applies to the issue which continues for 90 days after notice to
us by the Trustee or by the holders of 25% in principal amount of the
outstanding Debt Securities of the affected issues; and
o certain events of our bankruptcy, insolvency and reorganization.
(Section 501)
If an Event of Default occurs and is continuing in respect of one or more
issues, either the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the
outstanding Debt Securities of those issues may declare the principal of and
accrued interest, if any, on all securities of those issues to be due and
payable. If other specified Events of Default occur and are continuing, either
the Trustee or the holders of 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Debt
Securities of all issues may declare the principal of and accrued interest, if
any, on all the outstanding Debt Securities to be due and payable. (Section 502)
Within 90 days after a default in respect of any issue of Debt Securities,
the Trustee must give to the holders of the Debt Securities of that series
notice of all uncured and unwaived defaults by us known to it. However, except
in the case of default in payment, the Trustee may withhold the notice if it in
good faith determines that it is in the interest of the holders. The term
8
"default" means, for this purpose, the occurrence of any event that is or, upon
notice or lapse of time would be, an Event of Default. (Section 602)
Before the Trustee is required to exercise rights under the Indenture at
the request of holders, it is entitled to be indemnified by the holders, subject
to its duty, during an Event of Default, to act with the required standard of
care. (Sections 601 through 612)
A holder of a Debt Security will not be entitled to pursue any remedy under
the Indenture except under the following circumstances:
o the holder has notified the Trustee in writing of an Event of Default;
o holders of at least 25% of the outstanding principal amount of the
Debt Securities in respect of which the Event of Default has occurred
have delivered a written request to the Trustee to pursue the remedy;
o the holder or holders have offered to the Trustee a reasonable
indemnity against the costs to be incurred by the Trustee in pursuing
the remedy;
o the Trustee does not pursue the remedy for a period of 60 days; and
o the holders of a majority of the outstanding principal amount of the
Debt Securities in respect of which the Event of Default has occurred
have not delivered written directions to the Trustee inconsistent with
the initial written request from the holders described above. (Section
507)
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding securities
of any series (voting as a single class) may direct the time, method and place
of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee or
exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trustee in respect of the
securities of that series.
(Section 512)
The holders of a majority in principal amount of the outstanding securities
of all series affected by a default (voting as a single class) may, on behalf of
the holders of all that securities, waive the default except a default in
payment of the principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any security.
(Section 513) The holders of a majority in principal amount of outstanding
securities of all series entitled to the benefits thereof (voting as a single
class) may waive compliance with certain covenants under the Indenture. (Section
1010)
We will furnish to the trustee, annually, a statement as to the fulfillment
by us of our obligations under the Indenture. (Section 1004)
Regarding the Trustee
The Chase Manhattan Bank is the Trustee under the Indenture. The Indenture
is dated as of July 1, 2001. The Chase Manhattan Bank also acts as trustee (or
successor trustee) under other Indentures with us under which an aggregate of
approximately $4.2 billion in principal amount of indebtedness is issued and
outstanding. The Chase Manhattan Bank also is a party to our credit agreement,
under which it has committed to lend us up to $425 million, and provides other
commercial and investment banking services to us. An affiliate of The Chase
Manhattan Bank has engaged, and may in the future engage, in investment banking
and/or general financing and banking transactions with us.
We can remove the Trustee of any series as long as there is no Event of
Default and no event that, upon notice or lapse of time or both, would become an
Event of Default. The holders of a majority of the principal amount of the
series may also remove the Trustee at any time. The Indenture prescribes
procedures by which the Trustee will be replaced, in the event of its removal.
(Section 610)
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BOOK-ENTRY DEBT SECURITIES
The Prospectus Supplement will indicate whether we are issuing the related
Debt Securities as book-entry securities. Book-entry securities of a series will
be issued in the form of one or more global notes that will be deposited with
The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, and will evidence all of the
Debt Securities of that series. This means that we will not issue certificates
to each holder. We will issue one or more global securities to DTC, which will
keep a computerized record of its participants (for example, your broker) whose
clients have purchased the Debt Securities. The participant will then keep a
record of its clients who own the Debt Securities. Unless it is exchanged in
whole or in part for a security evidenced by individual certificates, a global
security may not be transferred, except that DTC, its nominees and their
successors may transfer a global security as a whole to one another. Beneficial
interests in global securities will be shown on, and transfers of beneficial
interests in global notes will be made only through, records maintained by DTC
and its participants. Each person owning a beneficial interest in a global
security must rely on the procedures of DTC and, if the person is not a
participant, on the procedures of the participant through which the person owns
its interest to exercise any rights of a holder of Debt Securities under the
Indenture.
The laws of some jurisdictions require that certain purchasers of
securities such as Debt Securities take physical delivery of the securities in
definitive form. These limits and laws may impair your ability to acquire or
transfer beneficial interests in the global security.
We will make payments on each series of book-entry Debt Securities to DTC
or its nominee, as the sole registered owner and holder of the global security.
Neither Anheuser-Busch, the Trustee nor any of their agents will be responsible
or liable for any aspect of DTC's records relating to or payments made on
account of beneficial ownership interests in a global security or for
maintaining, supervising or reviewing any of DTC's records relating to the
beneficial ownership interests.
DTC has advised us that, when it receives any payment on a global security,
it will immediately, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, credit
the accounts of participants with payments in amounts proportionate to their
beneficial interests in the global security as shown on DTC's records. Payments
by participants to you, as an owner of a beneficial interest in the global
security, will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices (as
is now the case with securities held for customer accounts registered in "street
name") and will be the sole responsibility of the participants.
A global security representing a series will be exchanged for certificated
Debt Securities of that series if (a) DTC notifies us that it is unwilling or
unable to continue as Depositary or if DTC ceases to be a clearing agency
registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and we do not appoint a
successor within 90 days or (b) we decide that the global security shall be
exchangeable. If that occurs, we will issue Debt Securities of that series in
certificated form in exchange for the global security. An owner of a beneficial
interest in the global security then will be entitled to physical delivery of a
certificate for Debt Securities of the series equal in principal amount to that
beneficial interest and to have those Debt Securities registered in its name. We
would issue the certificates for the Debt Securities in denominations of $1,000
or any larger amount that is an integral multiple thereof, and we would issue
them in registered form only, without coupons.
DTC has informed us that it is a limited-purpose trust company organized
under the New York Banking Law, a "banking organization" within the meaning of
the New York Banking Law, a member of the Federal Reserve System, a "clearing
corporation" within the meaning of the New York Uniform Commercial Code, and a
"clearing agency" registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. DTC was
created to hold the securities of its participants and to facilitate the
clearance and settlement of securities transactions among its participants
through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the participants, thereby
eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC's
10
participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies,
clearing corporations, and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or
their representatives) own DTC. Access to DTC's book-entry system is also
available to others, such as banks, brokers, dealers and trust companies that
clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a participant, either
directly or indirectly. The rules applicable to DTC and its participants are on
file with the SEC. No fees or costs of DTC will be charged to you.
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
We may sell Debt Securities to or through one or more underwriters or
dealers, and also may sell Debt Securities directly to other purchasers or
through agents. These firms may also act as our agents in the sale of Debt
Securities. Only underwriters named in the Prospectus Supplement will be
considered as underwriters of the Debt Securities offered by the Prospectus
Supplement.
We may distribute Debt Securities at different times in one or more
transactions. We may sell Debt Securities at fixed prices, which may change, at
market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the
prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices.
In connection with the sale of Debt Securities, underwriters may receive
compensation from us or from purchasers of Debt Securities in the form of
discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters, dealers and agents that
participate in the distribution of Debt Securities may be deemed to be
underwriters. Discounts or commissions they receive and any profit on their
resale of Debt Securities may be considered underwriting discounts and
commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. We will identify any underwriter
or agent, and we will describe any compensation, in the Prospectus Supplement.
We may agree to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents who participate
in the distribution of Debt Securities against certain liabilities, including
liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933.
We may authorize dealers or other persons who act as our agents to solicit
offers by certain institutions to purchase Debt Securities from us under
contracts which provide for payment and delivery on a future date. We may enter
into these contracts with commercial and savings banks, insurance companies,
pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and
others. If we enter into these agreements concerning any series of Debt
Securities, we will indicate that in the Prospectus Supplement.
In connection with an offering of Debt Securities, underwriters may engage
in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the
Debt Securities. Specifically, underwriters may over-allot in connection with
the offering, creating a syndicate short position in the Debt Securities for
their own account. In addition, underwriters may bid for, and purchase, Debt
Securities in the open market to cover short positions or to stabilize the price
of the Debt Securities. Finally, underwriters may reclaim selling concessions
allowed for distributing the Debt Securities in the offering if the underwriters
repurchase previously distributed Debt Securities in transactions to cover short
positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. Any of these activities
may stabilize or maintain the market price of the Debt Securities above
independent market levels. Underwriters are not required to engage in any of
these activities and may end any of these activities at any time.
Unless otherwise indicated in the Prospectus Supplement, each series of
Debt Securities offered will be a new issue of securities and will have no
established trading market. The Debt Securities may or may not be listed on a
national securities exchange. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of
or the existence of trading markets for any Debt Securities.
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LEGAL OPINION
Bryan Cave LLP, St. Louis, Missouri, as our counsel, has issued an opinion
as to the legality of the Debt Securities.
EXPERTS
The financial statements incorporated in this Prospectus by reference to
the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000 have been so
incorporated in reliance on the report of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP,
independent accountants, given on the authority of said firm as experts in
auditing and accounting.
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PART II
INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution
The following table sets forth estimated expenses in connection with the
issuance and distribution of the securities being registered, assuming three
issuances of securities:
Registration Fee ........................... $ 250,000
Printing and Engraving...................... $ 25,000*
Trustee's Charges .......................... $ 20,000*
Accounting Fees ............................ $ 40,000*
Rating Agency Fees ......................... $ 174,000*
Legal Fees ................................. $ 100,000*
Miscellaneous .............................. $ 6,000*
--------------
Total ............................ $ 615,000*
===============
* Estimated
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.
The Delaware General Corporation Law permits the indemnification by a
Delaware corporation of its directors, officers, employees and other agents
against expenses (including attorneys' fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid
in settlement in connection with specified actions, suits or proceedings,
whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (other than derivative
actions which are by or in the right of the corporation) if they acted in good
faith and in a manner they reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the
best interests of the corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe their conduct was unlawful. A
similar standard of care is applicable in the case of derivative actions, except
that indemnification only extends to expenses (including attorneys' fees)
incurred in connection with defense or settlement of such an action and requires
court approval before there can be any indemnification where the person seeking
indemnification has been found liable to the corporation.
The Registrant's Restated Certificate of Incorporation provides that each
person who was or is made a party to, or is involved in, any action, suit or
proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was a director or officer
of the Registrant (or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a
director, officer, employee or agent for another entity) while serving in such
capacity will be indemnified and held harmless by the Registrant to the full
extent authorized or permitted by Delaware law. The Restated Certificate also
provides that the Registrant may purchase and maintain insurance and may also
create a trust fund, grant a security interest and/or use other means (including
establishing letters of credit, surety bonds and other similar arrangements) and
may enter into contracts providing for indemnification, to ensure full payment
of indemnifiable amounts.
The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its
directors and executive officers.
II-1
Item 16. Exhibits.
Exhibit
Number Description of Exhibit
------- ----------------------
1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
1.1 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No. 333-31477).
1.2 Form of Distribution Agreement.
4.1 Indenture dated as of July 1, 2001 between the Registrant and The
Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee.*
4.2 Form of Indenture to be entered into between the Registrant and a
Trustee to be selected.*
4.3 Form of Debt Security.*
4.4 Form of Medium-Term Note (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement No. 333-31477).
5 Opinion and consent of Bryan Cave LLP, counsel to the Registrant.
23 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
24 Powers of Attorney executed by certain of the officers and directors
of the Registrant.
25 Form T-1, Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, of The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee.
* To be filed by amendment
Item 17. Undertakings.
The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made of
the securities registered hereby, a post-effective amendment to this
registration statement (i) to include any prospectus required by Section
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933; (ii) to reflect in the prospectus
any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration
statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which,
individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
information set forth in the registration statement; notwithstanding the
foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was
registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated
maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in
the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20%
change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
"Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the effective registration
statement; and (iii) to include any material information with respect to
the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration
statement or any material change to such information in the registration
statement; provided, however, that the undertakings set forth in
subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above do not apply if the information required
to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is
contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and
Exchange Commission by the Registrant pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
this registration statement.
(2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
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(3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination
of the offering.
(4) That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to
section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that
is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed
to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed
to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(5) To file an application for the purpose of determining the eligibility
of the trustee (under any Indenture entered into with a trustee to be
selected) to act under subsection (a) of section 310 of the Trust Indenture
Act (the "TIA") in accordance with the rules and regulations prescribed by
the Commission under section 305(b)(2) of the TIA.
Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of
the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described under Item 15 above, or
otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim
for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling
person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or
proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in
connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such
indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
II-3
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all the
requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration
statement and this amendment to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,
thereunto duly authorized, in the City of St. Louis, State of Missouri, on July
12, 2001.
ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES, INC.
By: /s/ JOBETH G. BROWN
----------------------------------------------
(JoBeth G. Brown, Vice President and Secretary)
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated:
Signature Title Date
Chairman of the Board and
President and Director
August A. Busch III* (Principal Executive
--------------------------------- Officer) July 12, 2001
(August A. Busch III)
Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
W. Randolph Baker* (Principal Financial
--------------------------------- Officer) July 12, 2001
(W. Randolph Baker)
Vice President and
John F. Kelly* Controller (Principal
--------------------------------- Accounting Officer) July 12, 2001
(John F. Kelly)
Bernard A. Edison*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Bernard A. Edison)
Carlos Fernandez G.*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Carlos Fernandez G.)
John E. Jacob*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(John E. Jacob)
James R. Jones*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(James R. Jones)
Charles F. Knight*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Charles F. Knight)
II-4
--------------------------------- Director
(Vernon R. Loucks, Jr.)
Vilma S. Martinez*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Vilma S. Martinez)
James B. Orthwein*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(James B. Orthwein)
William Porter Payne*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(William Porter Payne)
Joyce M. Roche*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Joyce M. Roche)
Patrick T. Stokes*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Patrick T. Stokes)
Andrew C. Taylor*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Andrew C. Taylor)
Douglas A. Warner III*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Douglas A. Warner III)
Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.*
--------------------------------- Director July 12, 2001
(Edward E. Whitacre, Jr.)
* By: /s/ JOBETH G. BROWN
---------------------------------
JoBeth G. Brown
Attorney-in-Fact
II-5
INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit
Number Description of Exhibit
------- ----------------------
1.1 Form of Underwriting Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
1.1 to the Registrant's Registration Statement No. 333-31477).
1.2 Form of Distribution Agreement.
4.1 Indenture dated as of July 1, 2001 between the Registrant and The
Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee.*
4.2 Form of Indenture to be entered into between the Registrant and a
Trustee to be selected.*
4.3 Form of Debt Security.*
4.4 Form of Medium-Term Note (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to
the Registrant's Registration Statement No. 333-31477).
5 Opinion and consent of Bryan Cave LLP, counsel to the Registrant.
23 Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
24 Powers of Attorney executed by certain of the officers and directors
of the Registrant.
25 Form T-1, Statement of Eligibility under the Trust Indenture Act of
1939, of The Chase Manhattan Bank, as Trustee.
* To be filed by amendment
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