Carlsberg launches rights issue

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Danish brewer Carlsberg (CARLb.CO: Quote, Profile, Research) is launching a 30.5 billion crown (3.3 billion pound) rights issue to repay part of the debt financing used to buy UK-based rival Scottish & Newcastle, the company announced in a statement late on Thursday. The Copenhagen-based brewer will offer the shares on a one for one basis at 400 crowns each, a 40 percent discount to the closing price of 666 crowns on Wednesday.

The rights issue is fully underwritten by BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), Danske Bank (DANSKE.CO: Quote, Profile, Research), Lehman Brothers (LEH.N: Quote, Profile, Research), and Nordea Bank (NDA.ST: Quote, Profile, Research).

Carlsberg and Dutch rival Heineken (HEIN.AS: Quote, Profile, Research) agreed this year to buy Scottish & Newcastle for 7.8 billion pounds ($15.3 billion) carving up Britain's biggest brewer.

(Writing by Louise Heavens; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)