Anheuser Busch Companies (BUD)

[cbfromli]

Anheuser-Busch second-quarter profit rises
Wednesday July 23, 11:27 am ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc (NYSE:BUD - News), which has agreed to be acquired by Belgian rival InBev NV (Brussels:INTB.BR - News), reported higher quarterly profit on Wednesday, helped by the launch of Bud Light Lime.

The maker of Budweiser and Michelob said second-quarter profit was $689 million, or 95 cents per share, compared with $677 million, or 88 cents per share, a year ago.

Earlier this month, Anheuser accepted a sweetened $52 billion takeover bid from InBev. The deal will create the world's largest beer maker and end roughly 150 years of independence for St. Louis-based Anheuser.

The combined Anheuser-InBev would have annual net sales of $36.4 billion and brew a quarter of the world's beer.