29th Oct 2026 10:19
(Alliance News) - Anheuser-Busch InBev NV reported on Thursday it had delivered "solid" growth in the third quarter of 2026, but its shares came under selling pressure.
The Leuven, Belgium-based brewer posted net profit of USD7.91 billion for the nine months that ended September 30, up 62% from USD4.88 billion a year earlier. Net profit for the third quarter to September 30 rose 52% to USD1.60 billion from USD1.05 billion a period year.
But shares in AB InBev fell 1.4% to ZAR1,333.50 in Johannesburg on Thursday around noon. In Brussels, AB InBev was down 1.4% at EUR71.84.
Revenue was up 11% to USD48.44 billion for nine months from USD43.76 billion, while third-quarter was revenue USD16.51 billion, up 9.1% from USD15.13 billion.
Volumes, including beer and non-beer, were slightly up 1.25 to 422.7 million hectolitres for nine months from 421.9 million, with third-quarter volumes flat at 142.3 million hectolitres.
AB InBev said overall beer volumes were "flattish", as broad-based growth across its footprint was primarily offset by a challenging industry in China.
The beer maker said it had reported "record" high third-quarter volumes in 15 markets, including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, South Africa, the Dominican Republic and India.
For nine months, normalised earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation rose 10% to USD17.33 billion from USD15.75 billion, while normalised Ebitda for the third quarter was up 6.6% to USD5.96 billion from USD5.59 billion.
Basic earnings per share for nine months climbed 63% to USD4.01 from USD2.46, while basic EPS was up 53% to USD0.81 for the third quarter from USD0.53.
"Delivering solid growth today while investing for tomorrow - our portfolio of megabrands and mega platforms continues to win with consumers, and our performance this quarter reflects the strength of our diversified footprint, best-in-class capabilities and consistent execution of our strategy," AB InBev Chief Executive Officer Michel Doukeris said.
Looking ahead, AB Inbev said it still expects its Ebitda for 2026 to grow in line with its medium-term outlook of between 4% and 8%.
By Artwell Dlamini, Alliance News senior reporter South Africa
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