Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Budweiser, has agreed to accept a $52 billion buyout offer from the Belgian brewer InBev in a deal that would create the world's largest beer maker.
InBev, which makes Stella Artois and Beck's, agreed to pay $70 per share for Anheuser-Busch, up from its original unsolicited bid of $65 per share, the companies said Monday in a joint statement.
The combined company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, would have about $36.4 billion in annual net sales, about 40 percent in the United States, and would brew about a quarter of the world's beer. InBev Chief Executive Carlos Brito will be CEO of the new company, while Anheuser will get two seats on its board.
The offer must still be approved by shareholders of both companies.
Anheuser and its predecessor companies have been led by members of the Anheuser or Busch families for most of the last 156 years. The companies expect little regulatory opposition and for the deal to close by the end of this year.
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