Belgian brewer makes unsolicited offer to Anheuser-Busch, company says

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., the nation's biggest brewery, received a purchase offer Wednesday from a Belgian brewer that might be too good to refuse.

Anheuser-Busch reported late Wednesday that InBev SA gave it an unsolicited bid to buy the company for roughly $46 billion. It's unclear whether senior Anheuser-Busch executives think the deal makes sense, but shareholders may be drawn to the offer — $65 a share, a steep premium over the company's closing price of $58.35 Wednesday.

"Anheuser-Busch said that its board of directors will evaluate the proposal carefully and in the context of all relevant factors, including Anheuser-Busch's long-term strategic plan," the company said in a statement. "The board will pursue the course of action that is in the best interests of Anheuser-Busch's stockholders."

A spokeswoman said the company would not comment beyond the statement.

Rumors have been rife in recent weeks that a takeover bid was looming. The beer industry has been consolidating in recent years amid rising ingredient costs and stale demand in the United States.

Anheuser-Busch's shares jumped on news of the offer, rising 2 percent in late-afternoon trading after rumors of the deal were reported on CNBC. Anheuser-Busch didn't announce the bid until after the market closed.

Opposition to a potential takeover has already been fierce in Anheuser-Busch's hometown of St. Louis, and elsewhere in the U.S. The brewer employs 6,000 people in St. Louis, and many workers are worried InBev would cut jobs as the companies consolidate.

Web sites have sprung up opposing the deal on patriotic grounds, arguing that such an iconic U.S. firm shouldn't be handed over to foreign ownership.

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On the Net: Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.: www.anheuser-busch.com