Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, closed Monday on its more than $100 billion acquisition of rival SABMiller.
The top two brewers confirmed plans to merge in November after years of speculation. London-based SABMiller makes Redd’s and Fosters, among other brands, and A-B InBev’s brands include Bud Light, Budweiser and Stella Artois.
The combined company has $55 billion in annual sales and an estimated global market share of 28 percent, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.
With the merger, A-B InBev will a stronger presence in key emerging regions with attractive growth prospects, such as Africa and Latin America, the brewer said Monday.
“As a truly global brewer, we will be able to achieve more together than each of us could separately,” CEO Carlos Brito said in a statement.
To receive regulatory approval in the U.S., SABMiller gave up ownership of the Miller brands by selling its 58 percent stake in MillerCoors to Molson Coors for $12 billion. Previously, MillerCoors was owned by SABMiller and Denver-based Molson Coors in a joint venture.
With the sale, A-B InBev’s U.S. market share remains at about 45 percent. A-B InBev’s North America headquarters, encompassing U.S. and Canada, will remain in St. Louis, the company said, led by zone president Joao Castro Neves.
The acquisition comes nearly eight years after InBev acquired St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion, in what at the time was the largest beer deal ever.
Associated Press
