Anheuser-Busch InBev considers selling Peroni brand

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the brewer in talks to buy SAB-Miller for $107 billion, is considering selling the Peroni and Grolsch brands as it works to gain regulatory clearance to combine the world’s biggest brewers.

The deliberations for the beer companies, which belong to SABMiller, are at a preliminary stage. Representatives for SABMiller and AB InBev declined to comment.

SABMiller agreed to sell its 58 per cent stake in MillerCoors to partner Molson Coors Brewing in a $12 billion deal earlier this month to win regulators’ approval.

The deal to merge SAB- Miller and AB InBev, called “Megabrew” by analysts, will create a behemoth controlling about half of the industry’s profits.

The combined company will have the number one or number two positions in 24 of the world’s 30 biggest beer markets and will provide AB InBev its first toehold in Africa, where about 65 million people will reach the legal drinking age by 2023.

The combined companies’ dominance has raised concerns from the industry.

The deal could lead to less competition among distributors and undue influence over the commodities used in brewing worldwide, Bob Pease, chief executive of the Brewers Association trade group, said earlier this month.

– (Bloomberg)