The selected historical financial information presented below as of 31 December 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007, and for the five years ended 31 December 2011 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which were prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and in conformity with International Financial Reporting Standards as adopted by the European Union (“ IFRS ”).

The selected historical financial information presented in the tables below should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes. The audited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes as of 31 December 2011 and 2010 and for the three years ended 31 December 2011 have been included in this Form 20-F.

Effective 1 January 2009, we changed the presentation currency of our consolidated financial statements from the euro to the U.S. dollar, reflecting the post-Anheuser-Busch acquisition profile of our revenue and cash flows, which are now primarily generated in U.S. dollars and U.S. dollar-linked currencies. We believe that this change provides greater alignment of our presentation currency with our most significant operating currency and underlying financial performance. Unless otherwise specified, all financial information included in this Form 20-F has been stated in U.S. dollars.

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Notes:

Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

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Investing in our shares involves risk. We expect to be exposed to some or all of the risks described below in our future operations. Such risks include, but are not limited to, the risk factors described below. Any of the risk factors described below, as well as additional risks of which we are not currently aware, could also affect our business operations and have a material adverse effect on our business activities, financial condition, results of operations and prospects and cause the value of our shares to decline. Moreover, if and to the extent that any of the risks described below materialize, they may occur in combination with other risks which would compound the adverse effect of such risks on our business activities, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Investors in our shares and American Depositary Shares (“ ADSs ”) could lose all or part of their investment.

You should carefully consider the following information in conjunction with the other information contained or incorporated by reference in this document. The sequence in which the risk factors are presented below is not indicative of their likelihood of occurrence or of the potential magnitude of their financial consequences.

Risks Relating to Our Business

We are exposed to the risks of an economic recession, credit and capital market volatility and economic and financial crisis, which could adversely affect the demand for our products and adversely affect the market price of our shares and ADSs.

We are exposed to the risk of a global recession or a recession in one or more of our key markets, credit and capital market volatility and an economic or financial crisis, which could result in lower revenue and reduced profit. For example, recent concerns regarding the eurozone sovereign debt crisis have led to increased volatility in global credit and capital markets and may lead to reduced economic growth in Europe and elsewhere. Any such development could adversely affect demand for beer, which could result in a deterioration in our results of operations.

Beer and soft drinks consumption in many of the jurisdictions in which we operate is closely linked to general economic conditions, with levels of consumption tending to rise during periods of rising per capita income and fall during periods of declining per capita income. Additionally, per capita consumption is inversely related to the sale price of our products.

Besides moving in concert with changes in per capita income, beer consumption also increases or decreases in accordance with changes in disposable income.

Currently, disposable income is low in many of the developing countries in which we operate compared to disposable income in more developed countries. Any decrease in disposable income resulting from an increase in inflation, income taxes, the cost of living, unemployment levels, political or economic instability or other factors would likely adversely affect demand for beer. Moreover, because a significant portion of our brand portfolio consists of premium beers, our volumes and revenue may be impacted to a greater degree than those of some of our competitors, as some consumers may choose to purchase value or discount brands rather than super-premium, premium or core brands. For additional information on the categorization of the beer market and our positioning, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—2. Principal Activities and Products—Beer.”

Capital and credit market volatility, such as that experienced recently, may result in downward pressure on stock prices and credit capacity of issuers. A continuation or worsening of the levels of market disruption and volatility seen in the recent past could have an adverse effect on our ability to access capital, on our business, results of operations and financial condition, and on the market price of our shares and ADSs.

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Our results of operations are affected by fluctuations in exchange rates.

Although we report our consolidated results in U.S. dollars, in 2011, we derived approximately 62.5% of our revenue from operating companies that have non-U.S. dollar functional currencies (in most cases, in the local currency of the respective operating company). Consequently, any change in exchange rates between our operating companies’ functional currencies and the U.S. dollar will affect our consolidated income statement and balance sheet when the results of those operating companies are translated into U.S. dollars for reporting purposes. Decreases in the value of our operating companies’ functional currencies against the U.S. dollar will tend to reduce those operating companies’ contributions in dollar terms to our financial condition and results of operations.

In addition to currency translation risk, we incur currency transaction risks whenever one of our operating companies enters into transactions using currencies other than their respective functional currencies, including purchase or sale transactions and the issuance or incurrence of debt. Although we have hedge policies in place to manage commodity price and foreign currency risks to protect our exposure to currencies other than our operating companies’ functional currencies, there can be no assurance that such policies will be able to successfully hedge against the effects of such foreign exchange exposure, particularly over the long-term. In particular, concerns regarding the eurozone sovereign debt crisis may result in increased volatility of euro exchange rates and make it more difficult for us to successfully hedge the effects of our euro foreign exchange exposure.

Moreover, although we seek to match borrowing currency liabilities to functional currency cash flows, following the Anheuser-Busch acquisition, much of our debt is denominated in U.S. dollars, while a significant portion of our cash flows are denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. From time to time we enter into financial instruments to mitigate currency risk, but these transactions and any other efforts taken to better match the effective currencies of our liabilities to our cash flows could result in increased costs.

See “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Market Risk, Hedging and Financial Instruments” and note 28 to our audited financial information as of 31 December 2011 and 2010, and for the three years ended 31 December 2011, for further details on our approach to hedging commodity price and foreign currency risk.

Changes in the availability or price of raw materials, commodities and energy could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

A significant portion of our operating expenses are related to raw materials and commodities, such as malted barley, wheat, corn grits, corn syrup, rice, hops, flavored concentrate, fruit concentrate, sugar, sweetener, water, glass, polyethylene terephthalate (“ PET ”) and aluminum bottles, aluminum or steel cans and kegs, labels, plastic crates, metal and plastic closures, folding cartons, cardboard products and plastic films.

The supply and price of raw materials and commodities used for the production of our products can be affected by a number of factors beyond our control, including the level of crop production around the world, export demand, quality and availability of supply, speculative movements in the raw materials or commodities markets, currency fluctuations, governmental regulations and legislation affecting agriculture, trade agreements among producing and consuming nations, adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, economic factors affecting growth decisions, political developments, various plant diseases and pests.

We cannot predict future availability or prices of the raw materials or commodities required for our products. The markets in certain raw materials or commodities have experienced and may in the future experience shortages and significant price fluctuations. The foregoing may affect the price and availability of ingredients that we use to manufacture our products, as well as the cans and bottles in which our products are packaged. We may not be able to increase our prices to offset these increased costs or increase our prices without suffering reduced volume, revenue and operating income. To some extent, derivative financial instruments and the terms of supply agreements can protect against increases in materials and commodities costs in the short term. However, derivatives and supply agreements expire and upon expiry are subject to renegotiation and therefore cannot provide complete protection over the medium or longer term. To the extent we fail to adequately manage the risks inherent in such volatility, including if our hedging and derivative arrangements do not effectively or completely hedge against changes in commodity prices, our results of operations may be adversely impacted. In addition, it is possible that the hedging

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and derivative instruments we use to establish the purchase price for commodities in advance of the time of delivery may lock us into prices that are ultimately higher than actual market prices at the time of delivery. See “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Market Risk, Hedging and Financial Instruments” for further details on our approach to hedging commodity price risk.

The production and distribution of our products require material amounts of energy, including the consumption of oil-based products, coal and electricity. Energy prices have been subject to significant price volatility in the recent past and may be again in the future. High energy prices over an extended period of time, as well as changes in energy taxation and regulation in certain geographies, may result in a negative effect on operating income and could potentially challenge our profitability in certain markets. There is no guarantee that we will be able to pass along increased energy costs to our customers in every case.

The production of our products also requires large amounts of water, including water consumption in the agricultural supply chain. Changes in precipitation patterns and the frequency of extreme weather events may affect our water supply and, as a result, our physical operations. Water may also be subject to price increases in certain areas, and changes in water taxation and regulation in certain geographies may result in a negative effect on operating income which could potentially challenge our profitability in certain markets. There is no guarantee that we will be able to pass along increased water costs to our customers in every case.

We may not be able to obtain the necessary funding for our future capital or refinancing needs and we face financial risks due to our level of debt and uncertain market conditions.

We may be required to raise additional funds for our future capital needs or refinance our current indebtedness through public or private financing, strategic relationships or other arrangements. There can be no assurance that the funding, if needed, will be available on attractive terms, or at all. We may be required to issue additional equity under unfavorable conditions, which could dilute our existing shareholders. See “—Risks Related to Our Shares and American Depositary Shares—Future equity issuances may dilute the holdings of current shareholders or ADS holders and could materially affect the market price of our shares or ADSs.” Furthermore, any debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants.

We incurred substantial indebtedness in connection with the Anheuser-Busch acquisition. We financed the Anheuser-Busch acquisition in part with a fully committed USD 45 billion senior debt facility (the “ 2008 Senior Facilities Agreement ”) (of which USD 44 billion was ultimately drawn). On 26 February 2010, we entered into USD 17.2 billion of senior credit agreements, including a USD 13 billion senior facilities agreement (the “ 2010 Senior Facilities Agreement ”) (of which USD 10.1 billion was ultimately drawn), which, together with the proceeds from a series of debt capital markets offerings enabled us to fully refinance and repay the remaining debt outstanding under the 2008 Senior Facilities Agreement. On 25 July 2011, we amended the USD 8 billion five-year revolving credit facility under the 2010 Senior Facilities Agreement. In connection with the amendment, we fully prepaid and terminated, the Term Facility under the 2010 Senior Facilities Agreement. The terms of the 2010 Senior Facilities Agreement, as well as its intended use, are described under “Item 10. Additional Information—C. Material Contracts.”

The portion of our consolidated balance sheet represented by debt will remain significantly higher as compared to our historical position.

Our continued increased level of debt could have significant consequences, including:

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Further, a credit rating downgrade could have a material adverse effect on our ability to finance our ongoing operations or to refinance our existing indebtedness. In addition, if we fail to comply with the covenants or other terms of any agreements governing these facilities, our lenders will have the right to accelerate the maturity of that debt.

Following the closing of the Anheuser-Busch acquisition, priority has been given to deleveraging, with surplus free cash flow being used to reduce the level of outstanding debt. Deleveraging remains a priority and may continue to restrict the amount of dividends we are able to pay.

We have reduced the amount of dividends paid in the first years after the closing of the Anheuser-Busch acquisition and may continue to restrict the amount of dividends we will pay as a result of our level of debt and our strategy to reduce our leverage.

Our ability to repay and renegotiate our outstanding indebtedness will depend upon market conditions. In 2011, the global credit markets experienced significant price volatility, dislocations and liquidity disruptions that caused the cost of debt financings to fluctuate considerably. The markets also put downward pressure on stock prices and credit capacity for certain issuers without regard to those issuers’ underlying financial strength. Reflecting concern about the stability of the financial markets generally and the strength of counterparties, many lenders and institutional investors reduced, and in some cases, ceased to provide funding to borrowers. If such uncertain conditions persist, our costs could increase beyond what is anticipated. Such costs could have a material adverse impact on our cash flows, results of operations or both. In addition, an inability to refinance all or a substantial amount of our debt obligations when they become due, or more generally a failure to raise additional equity capital or debt financing or to realize proceeds from asset sales when needed, would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our results could be negatively affected by increasing interest rates.

We use issuances of debt and bank borrowings as a source of funding and, following the Anheuser-Busch acquisition, our level of debt has increased significantly. Nevertheless, pursuant to our capital structure policy, we aim to optimize shareholder value through cash flow distribution to us from our subsidiaries, while maintaining an investment-grade rating and minimizing cash and investments with a return below our weighted average cost of capital.

Some of the debt we have issued or incurred was issued or incurred at variable interest rates, which exposes us to changes in such interest rates. As of 31 December 2011, after certain hedging and fair value adjustments, USD 9.9 billion, or 24.5%, of our interest-bearing financial liabilities (which include loans, borrowings and bank overdrafts) bore a variable interest rate, while USD 30.3 billion, or 75.5%, bore a fixed interest rate. Moreover, a significant part of our external debt is denominated in non-U.S. dollar currencies, including the euro, pounds sterling, Brazilian real and the Canadian dollar. Although we enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage our interest rate risk, and also enter into cross-currency interest rate swap agreements to manage both our foreign currency risk and interest-rate risk on interest-bearing financial liabilities, there can be no assurance that such instruments will be successful in reducing the risks inherent in exposures to interest rate fluctuations. See “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk—Market Risk, Hedging and Financial Instruments” and note 28 to our audited financial statements as of 31 December 2011 and 2010, and for the three years ended 31 December 2011, for further details on our approach to foreign currency and interest-rate risk.

Certain of our operations depend on independent distributors or wholesalers to sell our products.

Certain of our operations are dependent on government-controlled or privately owned but independent wholesale distributors for distribution of our products for resale to retail outlets. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—7. Distribution of Products” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—11. Regulations Affecting Our Business” for further information in this respect. There can be no assurance as to the financial affairs of such distributors or that these distributors, who often act both for us and our competitors, will not give our competitors’ products higher priority, thereby reducing their efforts to sell our products.

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In the United States, for instance, we sell substantially all of our beer to independent wholesalers for distribution to retailers and ultimately consumers. As independent companies, wholesalers make their own business decisions that may not always align themselves with our interests. If our wholesalers do not effectively distribute our products, our financial results could be adversely affected.

In addition, contractual restrictions and the regulatory environment of many markets may make it very difficult to change distributors in a number of markets. In certain cases, poor performance by a distributor or wholesaler is not a sufficient reason for replacement. Our consequent inability to replace unproductive or inefficient distributors could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

There may be changes in legislation or interpretation of legislation by regulators or courts that may prohibit or reduce the ability of brewers to own wholesalers and distributors.

In certain countries we have interests in wholesalers and distributors, and such interests may be prohibited if legislation or interpretation of legislation changes. For example, pursuant to recent Illinois legislation effective as of May 2011, only very small brewers may self-distribute beer. Although Illinois regulatory authorities have not determined whether the new law would prohibit us from holding a minority ownership stake in a distributor, any limitation imposed on our ability to purchase or own any interest in distributors could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Competition could lead to a reduction of our margins, increase costs and adversely affect our profitability.

We compete with both brewers and other drinks companies and our products compete with other beverages. Globally, brewers, as well as other players in the beverage industry, compete mainly on the basis of brand image, price, quality, distribution networks and customer service. Consolidation has significantly increased the capital base and geographic reach of our competitors in some of the markets in which we operate, and competition is expected to increase further as the trend towards consolidation among companies in the beverage industry continues. Consolidation activity has also increased along our distribution channels – in the case of both on-trade points of sale, such as pub companies, and off-trade retailers, such as supermarkets. Such consolidation could increase the purchasing power of players in our distribution channels.

Competition may divert consumers and customers from our products. Competition in our various markets and increased purchasing power of players in our distribution channels could cause us to reduce pricing, increase capital investment, increase marketing and other expenditures, prevent us from increasing prices to recover higher costs, and thereby cause us to reduce margins or lose market share. Moreover, because we rely on only a limited number of brands across a limited number of markets for the majority of our sales, any dilution of our brands as a result of competitive trends could also lead to a significant erosion of our profitability. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Innovation faces inherent risks, and the new products we introduce may not be successful, while competitors may be able to respond quicker than we can to emerging trends, such as the increasing consumer preference for “craft beers” produced by smaller microbreweries.

Additionally, the absence of level playing fields in some markets and the lack of transparency, or even certain unfair or illegal practices, such as tax evasion and corruption, may skew the competitive environment in favor of our competitors, with material adverse effects on our profitability or ability to operate.

The ability of our subsidiaries to distribute cash upstream may be subject to various conditions and limitations.

To a large extent, we are organized as a holding company and our operations are carried out through subsidiaries. Our domestic and foreign subsidiaries’ and affiliated companies’ ability to upstream or distribute cash

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(to be used, among other things, to meet our financial obligations) through dividends, intercompany advances, management fees and other payments is, to a large extent, dependent on the availability of cash flows at the level of such domestic and foreign subsidiaries and affiliated companies and may be restricted by applicable laws and accounting principles. In particular, 41.8% (USD 16.3 billion) of our total revenue of USD 39.0 billion in 2011 came from our Brazilian listed subsidiary Companhia de Bebidas das Américas—Ambev (“ Ambev ”), which is not wholly-owned and is listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. Certain of our equity investments (such as our investment in Grupo Modelo S.A.B. de C.V.) contribute cash flow to us through dividend payments but are not controlled by us, and our receipt of dividend payments from these entities is therefore outside our control. In addition to the above, some of our subsidiaries are subject to laws restricting their ability to pay dividends or the amount of dividends they may pay. See “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—G. Liquidity and Capital Resources—Transfers from Subsidiaries” and “Item 10. Additional Information—F. Dividends and Paying Agents” for further information in this respect.

If we are not able to obtain sufficient cash flows from our domestic and foreign subsidiaries and affiliated companies, this could adversely impact our ability to pay the substantially increased debt resulting from the Anheuser-Busch acquisition or our ability to pay dividends, and otherwise negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

An inability to reduce costs could affect profitability.

Our future success and earnings growth depend in part on our ability to be efficient in producing, advertising and selling our products and services. We are pursuing a number of initiatives to improve operational efficiency. Failure to generate significant cost savings and margin improvement through these initiatives could adversely affect our profitability and our ability to achieve our financial goals.

We are exposed to emerging market risks.

A substantial proportion of our operations, representing approximately 47.1% of our 2011 revenue, are carried out in emerging markets, including Brazil (which represents 28.7% of our revenue), Argentina, China, Russia, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Ukraine. We also have equity investments in brewers in China and Mexico.

Our operations and equity investments in these markets are subject to the customary risks of operating in developing countries, which include potential political and economic uncertainty, application of exchange controls, nationalization or expropriation, crime and lack of law enforcement, political insurrection, external interference, financial risks, changes in government policy, political and economic changes, changes in the relations between the countries, actions of governmental authorities affecting trade and foreign investment, regulations on repatriation of funds, interpretation and application of local laws and regulations, enforceability of intellectual property and contract rights, local labor conditions and regulations. Such factors could affect our results by causing interruptions to our operations or by increasing the costs of operating in those countries or by limiting our ability to repatriate profits from those countries. Financial risks of operating in emerging markets also include risks of liquidity, inflation (for example, Brazil, Argentina and Russia have periodically experienced extremely high rates of inflation), devaluation (for example, the Brazilian and Argentine currencies have been devalued frequently during the last four decades), price volatility, currency convertibility and country default. These various factors could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. Due to our geographic mix, these factors could affect us more than our competitors with less exposure to emerging markets, and any general decline in emerging markets as a whole could impact us disproportionately compared to our competitors.

We may not be able to successfully carry out further acquisitions and business integrations or restructuring.

We have made in the past and may make in the future acquisitions of, investments in, and joint venture and similar arrangements with, other companies and businesses. We cannot make such further transactions unless we can identify suitable candidates and agree on the terms with them. Such transactions also involve a number of risks. We may not be able to successfully complete such transactions. After completion of a transaction, we may be required to integrate the acquired companies, businesses or operations into our existing operations. In addition, such transactions may involve the assumption of certain actual or potential, known or unknown, liabilities, which may

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have a potential impact on our financial risk profile. Further, the price we may pay in any future transaction may prove to be too high as a result of various factors, such as a significant change in market conditions, the limited opportunity to conduct due diligence prior to a purchase or unexpected changes in the acquired business.

An impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets would adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

As a result of the Anheuser-Busch acquisition, we recognized USD 32.9 billion of goodwill on our balance sheet and recorded several brands from the Anheuser-Busch business (including brands in the Budweiser brand family, the Michelob brand family, the Busch brand family and the Natural brand family) as intangible assets with indefinite life with a fair value of USD 21.4 billion. As of 31 December 2011, goodwill amounted to USD 51.3 billion and intangible assets with indefinite life amounted to USD 22.5 billion. If our business does not develop as expected, impairment charges may be incurred in the future that could be significant and that could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We rely on the reputation of our brands.

Our success depends on our ability to maintain and enhance the image and reputation of our existing products and to develop a favorable image and reputation for new products. The image and reputation of our products may be reduced in the future; concerns about product quality, even when unfounded, could tarnish the image and reputation of our products. An event, or series of events, that materially damages the reputation of one or more of our brands could have an adverse effect on the value of that brand and subsequent revenues from that brand or business. Restoring the image and reputation of our products may be costly and may not be possible. Moreover, our marketing efforts are subject to restrictions on the permissible advertising style, media and messages used. In a number of countries, for example, television is a prohibited medium for advertising alcoholic beverage products, and in other countries, television advertising, while permitted, is carefully regulated. Any additional restrictions in such countries, or the introduction of similar restrictions in other countries, may constrain our brand building potential and thus reduce the value of our brands and related revenues.

Negative publicity may harm our business.

Media coverage, and publicity generally, can exert significant influence on consumer behavior and actions. If the social acceptability of beer or soft drinks were to decline significantly, sales of our products could materially decrease. In recent years, there has been increased public and political attention directed at the alcoholic beverage and food and soft drink industries. This attention is the result of health concerns related to the harmful use of alcohol, including drunk driving, binge drinking and underage drinking, as well as health concerns such as obesity and diabetes related to the overconsumption of food and soft-drinks. Negative publicity regarding alcohol or soft drink consumption, publication of studies that indicate a significant health risk from consumption of alcohol or soft drinks, or changes in consumer perceptions in relation to alcohol or soft drinks generally could adversely affect the sale and consumption of our products and could harm our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition as consumers and customers change their purchasing patterns. For example, the United Nations’ High Level Meeting (HLM) on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September 2011 raised the profile of health risks related to tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol. The United Nations’ NCD Declaration calls for nations to implement policies and strategies to reduce risk factors for NCDs. Similarly, the Russian and Ukrainian authorities are considering legislative changes linked to concerns about the harmful use of alcohol. Russia adopted bans on the sale of beer in kiosks and the sale of beer between the hours of 11:00 pm and 8:00 am, a ban on beer advertisements on television and radio and certain outdoor beer advertisements, limitations on print advertisements and a further increase in excise taxes by 20%, 25% and 20% in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively. Other legislative proposals discussed in Russia include a ban on PET packaging, stricter regulations on the ingredients and definition of “beer” and new labelling and health warning requirements. Ukraine is considering a ban on the sale of beer in kiosks, a ban on beer advertising, implementation of permits for the consumption of beer with consumption limited to licensed premises and in private accommodations and a further increase of excise and other beer related taxes, such as taxes on the development of viticulture, horticulture and hop-growing. Concerns over alcohol abuse and underage drinking have also caused governments, including Argentina, Brazil, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to consider measures such as increased taxation, legislation regarding minimum alcohol pricing or restrictions upon our commercial freedoms.

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Key brand names are used by us, our subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures, and are licensed to third-party brewers. To the extent that we, one of our subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures or licensees are subject to negative publicity, and the negative publicity causes consumers and customers to change their purchasing patterns, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition. As we continue to expand our operations into emerging and growth markets, there is a greater risk that we may be subject to negative publicity, in particular in relation to labor rights and local work conditions. Negative publicity that materially damages the reputation of one or more of our brands could have an adverse effect on the value of that brand and subsequent revenues from that brand or business, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.

Demand for our products may be adversely affected by changes in consumer preferences and tastes.

We depend on our ability to satisfy consumer preferences and tastes. Consumer preferences and tastes can change in unpredictable ways due to a variety of factors, such as changes in demographics, consumer health and wellness, concerns about obesity or alcohol consumption, product attributes and ingredients, changes in travel, vacation or leisure activity patterns, weather, negative publicity resulting from regulatory action or litigation against us or comparable companies or a downturn in economic conditions. Consumers also may begin to prefer the products of competitors or may generally reduce their demand for products in the category. Failure by us to anticipate or respond adequately either to changes in consumer preferences and tastes or to developments in new forms of media and marketing could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Seasonal consumption cycles and adverse weather conditions may result in fluctuations in demand for our products.

Seasonal consumption cycles and adverse weather conditions in the markets in which we operate may have an impact on our operations. This is particularly true in the summer months, when unseasonably cool or wet weather can affect sales volumes. Demand for beer is normally more depressed in our major markets in the Northern Hemisphere during the first and fourth quarters of each year, and our consolidated net revenue from those markets is therefore normally lower during this time. Although this risk is somewhat mitigated by our relatively balanced footprint in both hemispheres, we are relatively more exposed to the markets in the Northern Hemisphere than to the markets in the Southern Hemisphere, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Climate change, or legal, regulatory or market measures to address climate change, may negatively affect our business or operations, and water scarcity or poor quality could negatively impact our production costs and capacity.

There is a growing concern that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere may have an adverse impact on global temperatures, weather patterns and the frequency and severity of extreme weather and natural disasters. In the event that such climate change has a negative effect on agricultural productivity, we may be subject to decreased availability or less favorable pricing for certain agricultural commodities that are necessary for our products, such as barley, hops, sugar and corn. In addition, public expectations for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions could result in increased energy, transportation and raw material costs and may require us to make additional investments in facilities and equipment due to increased regulatory pressures. As a result, the effects of climate change could have a long-term, material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

We also face water scarcity risks. The availability of clean water is a limited resource in many parts of the world, facing unprecedented challenges from climate change and the resulting change in precipitation patterns and frequency of extreme weather, overexploitation, increasing pollution, and poor water management. As demand for water continues to increase around the world, and as water becomes scarcer and the quality of available water deteriorates, we may be affected by increasing production costs or capacity constraints, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

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If any of our products is defective or found to contain contaminants, we may be subject to product recalls or other liabilities.

We take precautions to ensure that our beverage products are free from contaminants and that our packaging materials (such as bottles, crowns, cans and other containers) are free of defects. Such precautions include quality-control programs and various technologies for primary materials, the production process and our final products. We have established procedures to correct problems detected.

In the event that contamination or a defect does occur in the future, it may lead to business interruptions, product recalls or liability, each of which could have an adverse effect on our business, reputation, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.

Although we maintain insurance policies against certain product liability (but not product recall) risks, we may not be able to enforce our rights in respect of these policies, and, in the event that contamination or a defect occurs, any amounts that we recover may not be sufficient to offset any damage we may suffer, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights.

Our future success depends significantly on our ability to protect our current and future brands and products and to defend our intellectual property rights, including trademarks, patents, domain names, trade secrets and know-how. We have been granted numerous trademark registrations covering our brands and products and have filed, and expect to continue to file, trademark and patent applications seeking to protect newly developed brands and products. We cannot be sure that trademark and patent registrations will be issued with respect to any of our applications. There is also a risk that we could, by omission, fail to renew a trademark or patent on a timely basis or that our competitors will challenge, invalidate or circumvent any existing or future trademarks and patents issued to, or licensed by, us.

Although we have taken appropriate action to protect our portfolio of intellectual property rights (including trademark registration and domain names), we cannot be certain that the steps we have taken will be sufficient or that third parties will not infringe upon or misappropriate proprietary rights. Moreover, some of the countries in which we operate offer less efficient intellectual property protection than is available in Europe or the United States. If we are unable to protect our proprietary rights against infringement or misappropriation, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition, and in particular, on our ability to develop our business.

We rely on key third parties, including key suppliers, and the termination or modification of the arrangements with such third parties could negatively affect our business.

We rely on key third-party suppliers, including third-party suppliers for a range of raw materials for beer and soft drinks such as malted barley, corn grits, corn syrup, rice, hops, water, flavored concentrate, fruit concentrate, sugar and sweetener, and for packaging material, such as glass, PET and aluminum bottles, aluminum or steel cans and kegs, labels, plastic crates, metal and plastic closures, folding cartons, cardboard products and plastic films.

We seek to limit our exposure to market fluctuations in these supplies by entering into medium- and long-term fixed-price arrangements. We have a limited number of suppliers of aluminum cans, and glass bottles. Consolidation of the aluminum can industry, and glass bottle industry in certain markets in which we operate has reduced local supply alternatives and increased the risk of disruption to aluminum can, and glass bottle supplies. Although we generally have other suppliers of raw materials and packaging materials, the termination of or material change to arrangements with certain key suppliers, disagreements with suppliers as to payment or other terms, or the failure of a key supplier to meet our contractual obligations or otherwise deliver materials consistent with current usage would or may require us to make purchases from alternative suppliers, in each case at potentially higher prices than those agreed with this supplier, and this could have a material impact on our production, distribution and sale of beer and soft drinks and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

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A number of key brand names are both licensed to third-party brewers and used by companies over which we do not have control. However, we monitor brewing quality to ensure our high standards. For instance, our global brand Stella Artois is licensed to third parties in Algeria, Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, New Zealand, and Romania, and another global brand, Beck’s, is licensed to third parties in Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Romania, Serbia, Tunisia and Montenegro. Finally, Budweiser is licensed to third parties in, amongst other countries, Argentina, India, Japan, South Korea, Panama, Italy, Ireland and Spain. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—8. Licensing” for more information in this respect. To the extent that one of these key brand names or our joint ventures, investments in companies in which we do not own a controlling interest and our licensees are subject to negative publicity, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

For certain packaging supplies and raw materials, we rely on a small number of important suppliers. If these suppliers became unable to continue to meet our requirements, and we are unable to develop alternative sources of supply, our operations and financial results could be adversely affected.

The consolidation of retailers may adversely affect us.

The retail industry in Europe and in other countries in which we operate continues to consolidate. Large retailers may seek to improve profitability and sales by asking for lower prices or increased trade spending. Although retailers purchase products from wholesalers (including in a number of markets, from our wholesaler operations), rather than directly from us, the efforts of retailers could result in reduced profitability for the beer industry as a whole and indirectly adversely affect our financial results.

We could incur significant costs as a result of compliance with, and/or violations of or liabilities under, various regulations that govern our operations.

Our business is highly regulated in many of the countries in which we or our licensed third partners operate. The regulations adopted by the authorities in these countries govern many parts of our operations, including brewing, marketing and advertising (in particular to avoid exposure to persons under the legal drinking age), transportation, distributor relationships and sales. We may be subject to claims that we have not complied with existing laws and regulations, which could result in fines, penalties or loss of operating licenses. We are also routinely subject to new or modified laws and regulations with which we must comply in order to avoid claims, fines and other penalties, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. We may also be subject to laws and regulations aimed at reducing the availability of beer products in some of our markets to address alcohol abuse and other social issues. There can be no assurance that we will not incur material costs or liabilities in connection with compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, or that such regulation will not interfere with our beer or soft drinks businesses.

The level of regulation to which our businesses are subject can be affected by changes in the public perception of beer and soft drinks consumption. In recent years, there has been increased social and political attention in certain countries directed at the alcoholic beverage and soft drinks industries, and governmental bodies may respond to any public criticism by implementing further regulatory restrictions on advertising, opening hours, drinking ages or marketing activities (including the marketing or selling of beer at sporting events). Such public concern and any resulting restrictions may cause the social acceptability of beer or soft drinks to decline significantly and consumption trends to shift away from these products, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For common regulations and restrictions on us, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—11. Regulations Affecting Our Business” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—A. Key Factors Affecting Results of Operations—Governmental Regulations.”

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We are exposed to the risk of litigation.

We are now and may in the future be party to legal proceedings and claims and significant damages may be asserted against us. See “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal and Arbitration Proceedings” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review—H. Contractual Obligations and Contingencies—Contingencies” and note 31 to our audited consolidated financial statements as of 31 December 2011 and 2010, and for the three years ended 31 December 2011 for a description of certain material contingencies which we believe are reasonably possible (but not probable) to be realized. Given the inherent uncertainty of litigation, it is possible that we might incur liabilities as a consequence of the proceedings and claims brought against us, including those that are not currently believed by us to be reasonably possible.

Moreover, companies in the alcoholic beverage industry are, from time to time, exposed to collective suits (class actions) or other litigation relating to alcohol advertising, alcohol abuse problems or health consequences from the excessive consumption of alcohol. As an illustration, certain beer and alcoholic beverage producers from Brazil, Canada, Europe and the United States have been involved in class actions and other litigation seeking damages for, among other things, alleged marketing of alcoholic beverages to underage consumers. If any of these types of litigation were to result in fines, damages or reputational damage for us, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial position.

See “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal and Arbitration Proceedings” for additional information on litigation matters.

The beer and beverage industry may be subject to adverse changes in taxation.

Taxation on our beer and non-beer products in the countries in which we operate is comprised of different taxes specific to each jurisdiction, such as excise and other indirect taxes. In many jurisdictions, such excise and other indirect taxes make up a large proportion of the cost of beer charged to customers. Increases in excise and other indirect taxes applicable to our products either on an absolute basis or relative to the levels applicable to other beverages tend to adversely affect our revenue or margins, both by reducing overall consumption of our products and by encouraging consumers to switch to other categories of beverages. These increases also adversely affect the affordability of our products and our profitability. Recently, Bolivia, Brazil, Russia, the United Kingdom and Ukraine have all adopted proposals to increase beer excise taxes. On 1 January 2010, Russia implemented an increase in the excise tax on regular-strength beer by 200% and, in 2009, Ukraine almost doubled the excise taxes on all beers. In May 2010, the excise tax in Ukraine was further increased by 23% and the water tax by 400%. As of 1 January 2011, water tax in Ukraine further increased by 65%. In late 2011, the Russian Parliament again passed a law to index excise taxes from 2012 to 2014. Excise on beer will be at 12 rubles per litre in 2012 and increase by 3 rubles in each of 2013 and 2014. These taxes have resulted in significant price increases in both countries, and continue to cause pressures on our sales of beer. See “—Negative publicity may harm our business.”

Similarly, the United States brewing industry is subject to significant taxation. The U.S. federal government currently levies an excise tax of USD 18 per barrel (equivalent to 1.1734776 hectoliters) on beer sold for consumption in the United States. All states also levy excise and/or sales taxes on alcoholic beverages. From time to time, there are proposals to increase these taxes, and as a result of the current economic climate and the fiscal difficulties of some states, these proposals have become more prevalent. In 2011, the State of Connecticut passed a 20% increase across all alcohol products, as part of an overall tax bill that raised taxes across a multitude of categories, including an increase in the sales tax rate, hotels, rental cars, cosmetic surgery and others. In addition, although no legislation has been introduced to this effect, there have been proposals to increase federal excise taxes on alcohol to raise revenue to pay the costs of health care proposals. Increases in excise taxes on alcohol could adversely affect our United States business and its profitability.

Proposals to increase excise or other indirect taxes, including legislation regarding minimum alcohol pricing, may result from the current economic climate and may also be influenced by changes in the public perception regarding the consumption of alcohol and soft drinks. To the extent that the effect of the tax reforms described above or other proposed changes to excise and other indirect duties in the countries in which we operate is to increase the total burden of indirect taxation on our products, the results of our operations in those countries could be adversely affected.

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In addition to excise and other indirect duties, we are subject to income and other taxes in the countries in which we operate. There can be no assurance that the operations of our breweries and other facilities will not become subject to increased taxation by national, local or foreign authorities or that we and our subsidiaries will not become subject to higher corporate income tax rates or to new or modified taxation regulations and requirements. Any such increases or changes in taxation would tend to adversely impact our results of operations.

We are exposed to antitrust and competition laws in certain jurisdictions and the risk of changes in such laws or in the interpretation and enforcement of existing antitrust and competition laws.

We are subject to antitrust and competition laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, and in a number of jurisdictions we produce and/or sell a significant portion of the beer consumed. Consequently, we may be subject to regulatory scrutiny in certain of these jurisdictions. For instance, our Brazilian listed subsidiary, Ambev, has been subject to monitoring by antitrust authorities in Brazil (see “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Financial Statements and Other Financial Information—Legal and Arbitration Proceedings—Ambev and its Subsidiaries—Antitrust Matters”). There can be no assurance that the introduction of new competition laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate, the interpretation of existing antitrust or competition laws or the enforcement of existing antitrust or competition laws, or any agreements with antitrust or competition authorities, against us or our subsidiaries, including Ambev, will not affect our business or the businesses of our subsidiaries in the future.

Our operations are subject to environmental regulations, which could expose us to significant compliance costs and litigation relating to environmental issues.

Our operations are subject to environmental regulations by national, state and local agencies, including, in certain cases, regulations that impose liability without regard to fault. These regulations can result in liability which might adversely affect our operations. The environmental regulatory climate in the markets in which we operate is becoming stricter, with a greater emphasis on enforcement.

While we have budgeted for future capital and operating expenditures to maintain compliance with environmental laws and regulations, there can be no assurance that we will not incur substantial environmental liability or that applicable environmental laws and regulations will not change or become more stringent in the future.

We operate a joint venture in Cuba, in which the Government of Cuba is our joint venture partner. Cuba has been identified by the U.S. Department of State as a state sponsor of terrorism and is targeted by broad and comprehensive economic and trade sanctions of the United States. Our operations in Cuba may adversely affect our reputation and the liquidity and value of our securities.

We own indirectly a 50% equity interest in Cerveceria Bucanero S.A., a Cuban company in the business of producing and selling beer. The other 50% equity interest is owned by the Government of Cuba. Cerveceria Bucanero S.A. is operated as a joint venture in which we appoint the general manager. Cerveceria Bucanero S.A.’s main brands are Bucanero and Cristal. In 2011, Cerveceria Bucanero S.A. sold 1.2 million hectoliters, representing about 0.29% of our global volume of 399 million hectoliters for the year. Although Cerveceria Bucanero S.A.’s production is primarily sold in Cuba, a small portion of its production is exported and sold by certain of our non-U.S. affiliates in other countries outside Cuba (but not the United States). Cerveceria Bucanero S.A. also imports and sells in Cuba a quantity of Beck’s branded products produced by one of our German subsidiaries that is less than 6,000 hectoliters.

Cuba has been identified by the United States government as a state sponsor of terrorism, and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and the U.S. Commerce Department together administer and enforce broad and comprehensive economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba. Although our operations in Cuba are quantitatively immaterial, our overall business reputation may suffer or we may face additional regulatory scrutiny as a result of our activities in Cuba based on Cuba’s identification as a state sponsor of terrorism and target of U.S. economic and trade sanctions. In addition, there are initiatives by federal and state lawmakers in the United States, and certain U.S. institutional investors, including pension funds, to adopt laws, regulations or policies requiring divestment from, or reporting of interests in, or to facilitate divestment from, companies that do business with countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism, including Cuba. If investors decide to liquidate or otherwise divest their investments in companies that have operations of any magnitude in Cuba, the market in and value of our securities could be adversely impacted.

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In addition, the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (known as the “ Helms-Burton Act ”) authorizes private lawsuits for damages against anyone who traffics in property confiscated without compensation by the Government of Cuba from persons who at the time were, or have since become, nationals of the United States. Although this section of the Helms-Burton Act is currently suspended by discretionary presidential action, the suspension may not continue in the future. Claims accrue notwithstanding the suspension and may be asserted if the suspension is discontinued. The Helms-Burton Act also includes a section that authorizes the U.S. Department of State to prohibit entry into the United States of non-U.S. persons who traffic in confiscated property, and corporate officers and principals of such persons, and their families. In 2009, we received notice of a claim purporting to be made under the Helms-Burton Act relating to the use of a trademark by Cerveceria Bucanero S.A., which is alleged to have been confiscated by the Cuban government and trafficked by us through our ownership and management of Cerveceria Bucanero S.A. Although we have attempted to review and evaluate the validity of the claim, due to the uncertain underlying circumstances, we are currently unable to express a view as to the validity of such claims, or as to the standing of the claimants to pursue them.

We may not be able to recruit or retain key personnel.

In order to develop, support and market our products, we must hire and retain skilled employees with particular expertise. The implementation of our strategic business plans could be undermined by a failure to recruit or retain key personnel or the unexpected loss of senior employees, including in acquired companies. We face various challenges inherent in the management of a large number of employees over diverse geographical regions. Key employees may choose to leave their employment for a variety of reasons, including reasons beyond our control. The impact of the departure of key employees cannot be determined and may depend on, among other things, our ability to recruit other individuals of similar experience and skill. It is not certain that we will be able to attract or retain key employees and successfully manage them, which could disrupt our business and have an unfavorable material effect on our financial position, income from operations and competitive position.

We are exposed to labor strikes and disputes that could lead to a negative impact on our costs and production level.

Our success depends on maintaining good relations with our workforce. In several of our operations, a majority of our workforce is unionized. For instance, a majority of the hourly employees at our breweries in several key countries in different geographies are represented by unions. Our production may be affected by work stoppages or slowdowns as a result of disputes under existing collective labor agreements with labor unions. We may not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate our collective labor agreements when they expire and may face tougher negotiations or higher wage and benefit demands. Furthermore, a work stoppage or slowdown at our facilities could interrupt the transport of raw materials from our suppliers or the transport of our products to our customers. Such disruptions could put a strain on our relationships with suppliers and clients and may have lasting effects on our business even after the disputes with our labor force have been resolved, including as a result of negative publicity.

Our production may also be affected by work stoppages or slowdowns that affect our suppliers, distributors and retail delivery/logistics providers as a result of disputes under existing collective labor agreements with labor unions, in connection with negotiations of new collective labor agreements, as a result of supplier financial distress, or for other reasons.

A strike, work stoppage or slowdown within our operations or those of our suppliers, or an interruption or shortage of raw materials for any other reason (including but not limited to financial distress, natural disaster, or difficulties affecting a supplier) could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, financial condition and ability to operate our business.

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Information technology failures could disrupt our operations.

We increasingly rely on information technology systems to process, transmit, and store electronic information. A significant portion of the communication between our personnel, customers, and suppliers depends on information technology. As with all large systems, our information systems may be vulnerable to a variety of interruptions due to events beyond our control, including, but not limited to, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, hackers or other security issues.

We depend on information technology to enable us to operate efficiently and interface with customers, as well as to maintain in-house management and control. We have also entered into various information technology services agreements pursuant to which our information technology infrastructure is outsourced to leading vendors.

In addition, the concentration of processes in shared services centers means that any technology disruption could impact a large portion of our business within the operating zones served. If we do not allocate, and effectively manage, the resources necessary to build and sustain the proper technology infrastructure, we could be subject to transaction errors, processing inefficiencies, loss of customers, business disruptions, or the loss of or damage to intellectual property through security breach. As with all information technology systems, our system could also be penetrated by outside parties intent on extracting information, corrupting information or disrupting business processes.

We take various actions with the aim of minimizing potential technology disruptions, such as investing in intrusion detection solutions, proceeding with internal and external security assessments, building and implementing disaster recovery plans and reviewing risk management processes. Notwithstanding our efforts, technology disruptions could disrupt our business. For example, if outside parties gained access to confidential data or strategic information and appropriated such information or made such information public, this could harm our reputation or our competitive advantage. More generally, technology disruptions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows or financial condition.

Natural and other disasters could disrupt our operations.

Our business and operating results could be negatively impacted by social, technical or physical risks such as earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding, fire, power loss, loss of water supply, telecommunications and information technology system failures, political instability, military conflict and uncertainties arising from terrorist attacks, including a global economic slowdown, the economic consequences of any military action and associated political instability.

Our insurance coverage may not be sufficient.

The cost of some of our insurance policies could increase in the future. In addition, some types of losses, such as losses resulting from wars, acts of terrorism, or natural disasters, generally are not insured because they are either uninsurable or it is not economically practical to obtain insurance. Moreover, insurers recently have become more reluctant to insure against these types of events. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur, this could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Shares and American Depositary Shares

The market price of our shares and ADSs may be volatile.

The market price of our shares and ADSs may be volatile as a result of various factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

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The market price of our shares and ADSs may be adversely affected by any of the preceding or other factors regardless of our actual results of operations and financial condition.

Our controlling shareholder may use its controlling interest to take actions not supported by our minority shareholders.

As of the last date we were notified of its shareholding, 29 August 2011, our controlling shareholder (Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev) owned 41.30% of our shares (and Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev and certain other entities acting in concert with it held, in the aggregate, 52.46% of our shares), in each case based on the number of our shares outstanding on 29 August 2011 (see “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—A. Major Shareholders”). Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev has the ability to effectively control or have a significant influence on the election of our Board of Directors and the outcome of corporate actions requiring shareholder approval, including dividend policy, mergers, share capital increases, going-private transactions and other extraordinary transactions. See “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association and Other Share Information—Description of the Rights and Benefits Attached to Our Shares” for further information in this respect. The interests and time horizons of Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev may differ from those of other shareholders. As a result of its influence on our business, Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev could prevent us from making certain decisions or taking certain actions that would protect the interests of our other shareholders. For example, this concentration of ownership may delay or prevent a change of control of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, even in the event that this change of control may benefit other shareholders generally. Similarly, Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev could prevent us from taking certain actions that would dilute its percentage interest in our shares, even if such actions would generally be beneficial to us and/or to other shareholders. These and other factors related to Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev’s holding of a controlling interest in our shares may reduce the liquidity of our shares and ADSs and their attractiveness to investors.

Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro may increase the risk of holding our ADSs and shares.

Our shares currently trade on Euronext Brussels in euros and our ADSs trade on the New York Stock Exchange (“ NYSE ”) in U.S. dollars. Fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro may result in temporary differences between the value of our ADSs and the value of our ordinary shares, which may result in heavy trading by investors seeking to exploit such differences. In particular, uncertainty regarding the ability of eurozone governments to resolve the eurozone sovereign debt crisis, including the possibility of an exit by one or more eurozone countries from the single currency, could lead to euro exchange rates becoming highly volatile and unpredictable. It is possible that this will trigger sharply increased trading and consequent market fluctations, which would increase the volatility of, and may have an adverse effect upon, the price of our shares or ADSs.

In addition, as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro, the U.S. dollar equivalent of the proceeds that a holder of our ADSs would receive upon the sale in Belgium of any shares withdrawn from the American Depositary Receipt (“ ADR ”) depositary and the U.S. dollar equivalent of any cash dividends paid in euros on our shares represented by the ADSs could also decline.

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Future equity issuances may dilute the holdings of current shareholders or ADS holders and could materially affect the market price of our shares or ADSs.

We may in the future decide to offer additional equity to raise capital or for other purposes. Any such additional offering could reduce the proportionate ownership and voting interests of holders of our shares and ADSs, as well as our earnings per share or ADS and net asset value per share or ADS, and any offerings by us or our main shareholders could have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares and ADSs.

Investors may not be able to participate in equity offerings, and ADS holders may not receive any value for rights that we may grant.

Our constitutional documents provide for preference rights to be granted to our existing shareholders unless such rights are disapplied by resolution of our shareholders’ meeting or the Board of Directors. Our shareholders’ meeting or Board of Directors may disapply such rights in future equity offerings. In addition, certain shareholders (including those in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan) may not be entitled to exercise such rights even if they are not disapplied unless the rights and related shares are registered or qualified for sale under the relevant legislation or regulatory framework. As a result, there is the risk that investors may suffer dilution of their shareholding should they not be permitted to participate in preference right equity or other offerings that we may conduct in the future.

If rights are granted to our shareholders, but the ADR depositary is unable to sell rights corresponding to shares represented by ADSs that are not exercised by, or distributed to, ADS holders, or if the sale of such rights is not lawful or reasonably practicable, the ADR depositary will allow the rights to lapse, in which case ADS holders will receive no value for such rights.

ADS holders may not be able to exercise their right to vote the shares underlying our ADSs.

Holders of ADSs may exercise voting rights with respect to the shares represented by our ADSs only in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. The deposit agreement provides that, upon receipt of a notice of any meeting of holders of our shares, the depositary will, if we so request, distribute to the ADS holders a notice which shall contain (i) such information as is contained in the notice of the meeting sent by us, (ii) a statement that the ADS holder as of the specified record date shall be entitled to instruct the ADR depositary as to the exercise of voting rights and (iii) a statement as to the manner in which instructions may be given by the holders.

Holders of ADSs may instruct the ADR depositary to vote the shares underlying their ADSs, but only if we ask the ADR depositary to ask for their instructions. Otherwise, ADS holders will not be able to exercise their right to vote, unless they withdraw our shares underlying the ADSs they hold. However, ADS holders may not know about the meeting far enough in advance to withdraw those shares. If we ask for the instructions of ADS holders, the depositary, upon timely notice from us, will notify ADS holders of the upcoming vote and arrange to deliver our voting materials to them. We cannot guarantee ADS holders that they will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that they can instruct the ADR depositary to vote their shares. In addition, the ADR depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for the manner of carrying out voting instructions. This means that ADS holders may not be able to exercise their right to vote, and there may be nothing they can do if the shares underlying their ADSs are not voted as requested.

ADS holders may be subject to limitations on the transfer of their ADSs.

ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the ADR depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of ADSs generally when the books of the ADR depositary are closed or if such action is deemed necessary or advisable by the ADR depositary or by us because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body or commission or under any provision of the deposit agreement. Moreover, the surrender of ADSs and withdrawal of our shares may be suspended subject to the payment of fees, taxes and similar charges or if we direct the ADR depositary at any time to cease new issuances and withdrawals of our shares during periods specified by us in connection with shareholders’ meetings, the payment of dividends or as otherwise reasonably necessary for compliance with any applicable laws or government regulations.

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Shareholders may not enjoy under Belgian corporate law and our articles of association certain of the rights and protection generally afforded to shareholders of U.S. companies under U.S. federal and state laws and the NYSE rules.

We are a public limited liability company incorporated under the laws of Belgium. The rights provided to our shareholders under Belgian corporate law and our articles of association differ in certain respects from the rights that you would typically enjoy as a shareholder of a U.S. company under applicable U.S. federal and/or state laws. In general, the Belgian Corporate Governance Code is a code of best practice applying to listed companies on a non-binding basis. The Code applies a “comply or explain” approach, that is, companies may depart from the Code’s provisions if, as required by law, they give a reasoned explanation of the reasons for doing so.

We are relying on a provision in the NYSE Listed Company Manual that allows us to follow Belgian corporate law and the Belgian Corporate Governance Code with regard to certain aspects of corporate governance. This allows us to continue following certain corporate governance practices that differ in significant respects from the corporate governance requirements applicable to U.S. companies listed on the NYSE. In particular, the NYSE rules require a majority of the directors of a listed U.S. company to be independent while, in Belgium, only three directors need be independent. Our board currently comprises four independent directors and eight non-independent directors. As of 25 April 2012, the mandate of one of our independent directors, Peter Harf, will come to an end. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Directors and Senior Management—Board of Directors.” The NYSE rules further require that each of the nominating, compensation and audit committees of a listed U.S. company be comprised entirely of independent directors. However, the Belgian Corporate Governance Code recommends only that a majority of the directors on each of these committees meet the technical requirements for independence under Belgian corporate law. All voting members of the Audit Committee are independent under the NYSE rules and Rule 10A-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Our Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee have members who would not be considered independent under NYSE rules, and therefore our Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee would not be in compliance with the NYSE Corporate Governance Standards for domestic issuers in respect of independence of these committees. However, both our Nomination Committee and Remuneration Committee are composed exclusively of non-executive directors who are independent of management and whom we consider to be free of any business or other relationship which could materially interfere with the exercise of their independent judgment. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—C. Board Practices—General—Information about Our Committees.”

Under Belgian corporate law, other than certain limited information that we must make public, our shareholders may not ask for an inspection of our corporate records, while under Delaware corporate law any shareholder, irrespective of the size of his or her shareholdings, may do so. Shareholders of a Belgian corporation are also unable to initiate a derivative action, a remedy typically available to shareholders of U.S. companies, in order to enforce a right of Anheuser-Busch InBev, in case we fail to enforce such right ourselves, other than in certain cases of director liability under limited circumstances. In addition, a majority of our shareholders may release a director from any claim of liability we may have, including if he or she has acted in bad faith or has breached his or her duty of loyalty, provided, in some cases, that the relevant acts were specifically mentioned in the convening notice to the shareholders’ meeting deliberating on the discharge. In contrast, most U.S. federal and state laws prohibit a company or its shareholders from releasing a director from liability altogether if he or she has acted in bad faith or has breached his or her duty of loyalty to the company. Finally, Belgian corporate law does not provide any form of appraisal rights in the case of a business combination.

For additional information on these and other aspects of Belgian corporate law and our articles of association, see “Item 10. Additional Information—B. Memorandum and Articles of Association and Other Share Information.” As a result of these differences between Belgian corporate law and our articles of association, on the one hand, and U.S. federal and state laws, on the other hand, in certain instances, you could receive less protection as a shareholder of our company than you would as a shareholder of a U.S. company.

As a “foreign private issuer” in the United States, we are exempt from a number of rules under the U.S. securities laws and are permitted to file less information with the SEC.

As a “foreign private issuer,” we are exempt from certain rules under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”), that impose certain disclosure obligations and procedural requirements for

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proxy solicitations under Section 14 of the Exchange Act. In addition, our officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and “short-swing” profit recovery provisions under Section 16 of the Exchange Act. Moreover, we are not required to file periodic reports and financial statements with the SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. Accordingly, there may be less publicly available information concerning us than there is for U.S. public companies.

It may be difficult for investors outside Belgium to serve process on or enforce foreign judgments against us.

We are a Belgian public limited liability company. Certain of the members of our Board of Directors and Executive Board of Management and certain of the persons named herein are non-residents of the United States. All or a substantial portion of the assets of such non-resident persons and certain of our assets are located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be possible for investors to effect service of process upon such persons or on us or to enforce against them or us a judgment obtained in U.S. courts. Original actions or actions for the enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts relating to the civil liability provisions of the federal or state securities laws of the United States are not directly enforceable in Belgium. The United States and Belgium do not currently have a multilateral or bilateral treaty providing for reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments, other than arbitral awards, in civil and commercial matters. In order for a final judgment for the payment of money rendered by U.S. courts based on civil liability to produce any effect on Belgian soil, it is accordingly required that this judgment be recognized or be declared enforceable by a Belgian court pursuant to the relevant provisions of the 2004 Belgian Code of Private International Law. Recognition or enforcement does not imply a review of the merits of the case and is irrespective of any reciprocity requirement. A U.S. judgment will, however, not be recognized or declared enforceable in Belgium if it infringes upon one or more of the grounds for refusal which are exhaustively listed in Article 25 of the Belgian Code of Private International Law. In addition to recognition or enforcement, a judgment by a federal or state court in the United States against us may also serve as evidence in a similar action in a Belgian court if it meets the conditions required for the authenticity of judgments according to the law of the state where it was rendered.

Shareholders in jurisdictions with currencies other than the euro face additional investment risk from currency exchange rate fluctuations in connection with their holding of our shares.

Any future payments of dividends on shares will be denominated in euro. The U.S. dollar — or other currency — equivalent of any dividends paid on our shares or received in connection with any sale of our shares could be adversely affected by the depreciation of the euro against these other currencies.

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