Foster’s was at the centre of takeover speculation on Friday as Deutsche Bank confirmed it had built a 5.3 per cent stake on behalf of an unknown investor and analysts suggested the Australian drinks group was in the sights of London-listed SABMiller and Heineken of the Netherlands.

Shares in Foster’s have been battered after the group issued a profits warning in June when it reduced the carrying value of its global wine assets by A$1.2bn. The group is undergoing a strategic review with “all options open” and may look to shed its lower-margin wine assets.