AB InBev Launches $6 Billion Buyback as Volumes Decline (1)

Anheuser-Busch InBev kicked off a $6 billion share buyback program, even as it faced a challenging third quarter marked by lower-than-expected beer sales.

The buyback by the brewer of Budweiser and Stella Artois is bigger than analysts forecast that it could range from $2 billion to as much as $4.6 billion.

Organic volumes fell again, however, declining 3.7%, hit by weak demand in China and unseasonably poor weather in Brazil. Rival Carlsberg A/S also reported another quarterly fall in beer volumes that was worse than expected Thursday and said it has been cutting costs since the summer in a bid ...