Corona and Stella Artois giant Anheuser-Busch InBev has said it is “well positioned” to capitalise on events such as this summer’s Fifa World Cup as it announced a first-quarter boost from its beer brands.
The Belgium-based group, the world’s biggest brewer, announced an unexpected return to growth in sales by volume in the first three months of 2026, up 0.8%, driven by a 1.2% jump for beer brands.
It posted underlying profits of 1.92 billion US dollars (£1.41 billion), up from 1.61 billion dollars (£1.18 billion) a year ago.
The group said beer sales by volume reached a record high across Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, South Africa and Peru.
Its shares surged nearly 7% on the Euronext Brussels.
Michel Doukeris, chief executive of AB InBev, said: “Cheers to beer – the strength of the category and the consistent execution of our consumer-centric strategy drove continued momentum across our footprint.
“We are investing behind our megabrands and innovations to lead and grow the category.”
The group added: “We are encouraged by our performance in the first quarter and, looking ahead, we are well positioned to activate the category in some of the biggest moments of celebration of the year, including the Fifa World Cup.”
The World Cup will kick off on June 11 and be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
AB InBev said it remained on track for annual underlying earnings growth of between 4% and 8%.
