The world's first and second largest brewers could merge to create a new global behemoth. The British SABMiller – which owns, among others, the Peroni brand – announced that it had been contacted by the leader in the sector, Anheuser-Busch InBev (which has among its flagship brands Budweiser, Corona, Beck's and Stella Artois) for a takeover offer aimed at the merger.
SABMiller specified that a formal offer has not yet been made and that the board has no details to provide. AB InBev confirmed the contacts, specifying that there is no "certainty" about the outcome of the discussions.
“AB InBev confirms that it has contacted the board of SABMiller regarding a possible merger of the two companies. There can be no certainty that this approach will lead to an offer or an agreement,” the Belgian-Brazilian group specified in a statement.
Shares of both brewers soared after the announcement: SABMiller gains 22% on the London Stock Exchange and AB InBev more than 7% on the Brussels Stock Exchange.
