Huiyuan Juice

China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited

Company type	Public
Industry	Beverage
Founded	1992
Headquarters	Beijing , China
Products	Fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, bottled water, tea, dairy-based drinks

China Huiyuan Juice Group Limited () (), established in 1992 and headquartered in Beijing, stands as the largest privately held juice manufacturer in China. The enterprise produces and markets a variety of beverages including fruit and vegetable juices, nectars, bottled water, tea, and dairy-based drinks.

Hong Kong listing

In February 2007, China Huiyuan made its debut on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Prior to going public, cornerstone investments were secured from Groupe Danone and Warburg Pincus. Warburg Pincus divested its holdings in 2009, while Danone sold its 23% share for €200 million ($260 million) in 2010 to SAIF, a private equity firm based in Hong Kong.

Coca-Cola buy-out attempt

On 3 September 2008, Atlantic Industries, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, proposed an acquisition offer of HK$17.9 billion (HK$12.20 per share), which was more than triple Huiyuan’s previous closing price of HK$4.14. The transaction required approval from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce under anti-monopoly regulations, with clearance anticipated by March 2009. However, Coca-Cola contemplated withdrawing the bid after regulators requested the relinquishment of the Huiyuan brand. Ultimately, on 18 March 2009, the Ministry rejected the proposal due to concerns over market competition.

In a connected legal matter, Sun Min, spouse of entrepreneur Mo Feng, was found guilty of insider trading involving Huiyuan shares around the takeover announcement. They purchased 8.61 million shares at prices between HK$3.78 and HK$4.66 and later sold them at HK$10.24 to HK$11.12 per share, yielding profits of HK$55.1 million ($7.09 million). Sun received a fine of HK$20 million ($2.56 million), marking the highest penalty for insider trading ever imposed in Hong Kong.