AB InBev sells eastern Europe ops to CVC for $2.2 billion

Anheuser Busch, Inc. World Headqaurters in St Louis, July 14, 2008.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev, has agreed to sell breweries in nine eastern European countries to CVC Capital Partners for an initial $2.23 billion, passing its target for divestments since its merger a year ago.

The world's largest brewer said in a statement Thursday that the price tag could rise to $3.03 billion depending on CVC's return on investment.

AB InBev has therefore pushed past the $7 billion goal it had set for divestments to help pay for InBev's $52 billion takeover of U.S. rival Anheuser-Busch completed last November.

The brewer of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Beck's has actually raised a potential $9.5 billion after sales of assets in South Korea, China, Scotland and Ireland as well as packaging and theme park businesses in the United States.

AB InBev, which took the number one spot back from SABMiller Plc last year, said CVC would be acquiring its operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia.

The brewer would have the right of first offer to reacquire the business should CVC decide to sell.

The deal, which was expected to close by January 2010, is comprised of a $1.618 billion cash payment, a $448 million unsecured deferred payment obligation with a six-year maturity and interest of 8 to 15 percent and $165 million in minority interests, assuming market value at Wednesday's close.

Barclays Capital and Lazard acted as financial advisers to AB InBev and Clifford Chance as legal adviser.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Hans Peters)