There were some big numbers being thrown around when it was announced just earlier that Anheuser-Busch InBev (perhaps most famous for the Budweiser brand) would buy SABMiller for a whopping $104 billion (R1,4 trillion).

The deal is yet to be signed off on but the biggest stumbling block was always going to be valuation, and with that out the way it shouldn’t be long now until the deal is formalised.

If you’re thinking how could it be worth all that money you should consider this whopper: once the deal is sealed Anheuser-Busch InBev will produce one out of every three beers sold around the world. Here’s CNBC:

The press release on Tuesday morning also said that AB InBev would agree to a “best efforts” commitment to obtain any regulatory clearances required before the transaction. This included $3 billion payable to SABMiller in the event that the transaction fails to close as a result of the failure to obtain regulatory clearances or the approval of AB InBev shareholders.

The statement caveated that there can be no certainty that a formal offer will be made, adding that a further announcement will be released when appropriate.

So who will be happier with that monster figure for the acquisition? This from Bloomberg:

“We think that this is good value for SAB,” said Alicia Forry, an analyst at Canaccord Genuity. “It’s great that they’ve come to a point where the valuation is agreed, and we expect ABI in due course to make a firm offer.”

I can only talk for myself when I say I’m not much bothered, as long as we don’t see those Budweiser adverts playing on our TV screens and the beer is cold…

[sources:cnbc&bloomberg]