15 Jul 2008

InBev buys Bud for $US52b

11:09 am on 15 July 2008

Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc has accepted a $US52 billion takeover bid from Belgium-based InBev NV NV, creating the world's largest beer maker.

InBev makes Stella Artois and Beck's. It is to pay $US70 per share in cash for the maker of Budweiser.

The combined Anheuser-Busch InBev would have about $US36.4 billion in annual net sales and would brew about a quarter of the world's beer.

Anheuser's home town of St. Louis, Missouri will be the headquarters for the North American region. All 12 of Anheuser's breweries in the United States would remain open.

InBev will finance the purchase with $US45 billion in debt. It will also issue $US9.8 billion of new shares.

Anheuser-Busch is 150 years old. In 2006, the company gave $US10 million to charity. It spends another $US300 million each year to sponsor sports, the arts and other events.