Global brewer Anheuser-Busch In-Bev has bought back some of its debt shares and now forecasts medium-term profits of 4 to 8% for 2024.

Success from the Belgian beer company’s  global operations has also earned  the shareholders  a long overdue dividend raise of 9%. 

These details emerged on February 29 after the brewer had settled $1 billion of the original $100b shares debt in October 2023. These debt bonds helped the firm grow to its current large size.

Lack of fresh share buy-back announcement this year, however, has caused shares to fall by 3%. Debt shares are bonds that a company acquires on credit with a promise to buy them back in time.

Triumphs

AB In-Bev has had various successes that have enabled it acquire its credited shares, one of which being bold global acquisitions.

One of these is in South Africa, where it operates in partnership with South African Breweries to produce Corona-branded beer. The subsidiary now runs a 60-hectare lime farm to fund production right at home.

There has also been the continued input from SAB Miller, which AB In-Bev acquired in 2016 for £79 billion ($100.14b).

Failures

Amid the sales triumphs is a continuing boycott of Bud Light products in the U.S. in a  transgender endorsement tiff.

By March  1, 2024, Budweiser, the AB In-Bev American subsidiary that sells Bud Light had lost $1.4 billion in revenue.

The boycott followed an April 2023 Bud Light can ad of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which sparked public anger. 

Another disappointment is Argentina’s hyperinflation, which made AB In-Bev review Quarter 4, 2023 revenue estimates from 6.2% to just 0.5%. However, this was better than the U.S.’ sales, which lost by 15.3% in 2023.

Ultimately, the world’s top multi-beer maker remains in good footing for it can still afford to raise dividends and predict profits. The world’s second biggest brewer, Heineken, cannot say as much for it announced a downtempo outlook for 2024 back in February.