Asahi shares mark weekly slide after cyberattack halts production
Investing.com-- Japanese beer and beverage giant Asahi Group’s (TYO:2502) shares were set for a steep weekly loss after production at domestic factories was halted indefinitely due to a debilitating cyberattack.
Asahi shares fell 0.8% on Friday and were trading down nearly 7% this week. Rivals Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:2503) and Sapporo Holdings Ltd. (TYO:2501) rose 1% and 3.4%, respectively, on Friday, but were also nursing some weekly losses.
The company halted production at most of its 30 plants in Japan earlier this week, after a cyberattack caused system outages and disrupted even order processing, shipping, and call center operations.
The company said no personal information leakage had been confirmed, but it remained unclear just when domestic production will resume.
Local media reports said Japan could face a beer shortage from an extended production halt at Asahi, which is one of the country’s biggest beverage makers.
The company’s flagship Asahi Super Dry beer is one of Japan’s best-selling beers.