There is late word from at least two media outlets this evening that InBev has finally made its move on Anheuser-Busch. The Brazilian-Belgian international behemoth InBev has been long rumored to be in the market for a hostile takeover of America’s largest brewery. The deal, rumored at $65 per share, will face regulatory and shareholder review. The prospect of InBev owning America’s largest brewery raises a number of interesting business issues, ranging from whether consumers will continue to accept Budweiser (recently promoted as the Great American Lager, as compared to the damned Canadian and South African competitors) as owned by a foreign entity and whether InBev, notorious for cost cutting, will leave A-B’s brewing operations intact or dismantle select breweries. A very interesting day in the beer world.
