Anheuser-Busch – the US brewer responsible for Budweiser beer – has received an unsolicited takeover bid worth $46 billion (£23.6 billion) from rival firm InBev.
As part of the proposal, InBev has offered to incorporate Anheuser-Busch’s heritage into the new company name, and has agreed to keep all of Anheuser’s US breweries in operation.
“We view this combination as a natural step for both companies, who already enjoy successful partnerships in the US, Canada and South Korea,” said chief executive of InBev Carlos Brito.
Anheuser’s board will now study the details of the takeover proposal and “pursue a course of action that is in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch’s stockholders.”
Should the deal go ahead, the merged company would become the world’s largest brewer by volume, overtaking the current number one SABMiller.