Stifel: Almost Miller Time For Anheuser Busch Inbev SA

Anheuser Busch Inbev SA BUD is likely to acquire the world's second-largest brewer SABMiller plc SBMRY within a year, an analyst said Monday.

Shares of both companies ticked higher Monday on a rumor Anheuser is in talks with banks to line up financing for a prospective bid.

Stifel analyst Mark Swartzberg thinks there's a 60 percent chance of the deal getting done by mid-2015. If so, anti-trust concerns in both the U.S. and China would likely require divestitures.

SAB may sell its stake in a U.S. joint venture to Molson Coors Brewing Co. TAP, Swartzberg said. The two companies operate jointly in the U.S. with SAB holding a 58 percent stake in the operation.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that a deal between Anheuser and SAB could be worth as much as $122 billion, but that Anheuser is not presently in talks with SAB. Anheuser traded recently up more than 3 percent; SAB, on the London stock exchange, was up nearly 10 percent.

Altria Group Inc. MO, which holds a 28 percent stake in SAB, was up nearly 3 percent, while Molson Coors gained nearly 6 percent.

Swartzberg maintains Buy ratings on all three beer makers. He raised his target on Molson to $94 from $90, and on Anheuser to $130 from $121.