ST. LOUIS, Feb. 15 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.Copyright 2007 by UPI
