ST. LOUIS, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Anheuser-Busch Cos. is in merger talks with the world's largest beer producer, Belgium's InBev SA, a published report said Thursday.
The merger talks are still in an early stage, the Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico said.
The newspaper, citing a source close to three Brazilians on the InBev board who created InBev in 2004 through an $11 billion merger between Brazilian brewer Companhia de Bebidas das Americas and Belgium's Interbrew.
The newspaper paper also quoted an unnamed investment banker who said a merger between Anheuser-Busch and InBev was likely to happen.
InBev already has a licensing arrangement with Anheuser-Busch to make Budweiser and Bud Light in Canada.
InBev's nearly 100 beer brands include Lowenbrau, Beck's and St. Pauli Girl. It has 14 percent of the global beer market.
Anheuser-Busch, based in St. Louis, is the world's third largest brewing company in volume after InBev and South Africa's SABMiller.
Anheuser-Busch officials were not available to comment on the report. An InBev spokeswoman said the company would comment later.
