AB InBev CEO: 'No. 1 priority is organic growth,' not M&A

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Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) CEO Michel Doukeris sits down with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to discuss how the company behind popular beer brands like Budweiser, Bud Light, and Busch is navigating the changing beverage space.

"Our company historically grew through acquisitions, and beer consolidated somehow through acquisitions, as did many other sectors. Sometimes, we like to remember beer, but if you look at many other sectors, they are consolidated into two, three, [or] four companies. [AB InBev] came to the US in 2008 [with] headquarters in Saint Louis," Doukeris explains. "The US today represents close to 30% of our revenues, 70% of our revenues are in [the] other 49 countries that we operate [in], and we basically operate across the globe in all continents."

The beer maker has "reoriented our strategy from acquisitions to a more organic growth strategy" over the past three years, the chief executive tells Yahoo Finance. Doukeris expands upon AB InBev's global presence, stating "one in four beers globally are one of our brands in one of [the] countries [we operate in]."

"There is much more for us to grow on the current footprint that we have," Doukeris emphasizes, later adding: "As we work and deploy capital, our number one priority is organic growth. But dynamically, you're going to always find opportunities [for] returning more cash to shareholders or investing if you have a good opportunity with a good ROI [return on investment] in bolt-on acquisitions in the category, [or] around the category. But [acquisitions] is no longer our number one priority."

For more on AB InBev's push into non-alcoholic beers, the impact of weight-loss drugs on the beverage industry, how the global company is thinking about President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs, and more, watch the video above.

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This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.