Anheuser Busch Inbev SA Buys South Korean Brewery for $5.8B (BUD)

On Tuesday, Belgium-based Anheuser Busch Inbev SA (BUD) finished its $5.8 billion purchase of Oriental Brewery, which BUD previously sold in 2009.

Anheuser Busch Inbev sold Oriental Brewery for $1.8 billion to KKR & Co. and Affinity Equity Partners in 2009, when the company needed cash to help pay off debts incurred when purchasing Anheuser Busch in 2008 for $52 billion. BUD plans to promote Oriental Brewery outside of South Korea, and also stated that the brewery will be the official sponsor of 2014′s World Cup in Brazil.

BUD’s chief executive, Carlos Brito, had the following to say about the purchase: ”We are excited to welcome the Oriental Brewery team back to the AB InBev family. We look forward to re-integrating OB into our global platform, as we endeavor to strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region and continue growing our brands and providing additional consumer choice in South Korea.”

Anheuser Busch Inbev stock was down 61 cents, or 0.58%, in pre-market trading. YTD, the company’s stock is up 1.69%.

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