Corona, the top-selling brand of imported beer in the United States, is produced in Mexico. However, the brand's ownership is less clear, with two multinational corporations responsible for its brewing, importation, and distribution. Read on to learn more about the beer and its ownership.
NYSE: BUD
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What is Corona?
Corona beer was introduced to the United States in 1976, but the beverage already had a lengthy history in neighboring Mexico. It was the first beer brewed by Grupo Modelo; barely a decade after its 1925 introduction, Corona was the best-selling beer in Mexico and became a particular favorite of U.S. tourists returning from resorts in Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco.
Anheuser-Busch bought a 17.7% stake in Modelo for $477 million in 1993 with options to increase its share of the company. Anheuser-Busch had increased its stake to 50% by 2008 when it was taken over by Belgian brewer InBev in a $52 billion deal. (InBev itself was created by a 2004 deal that combined Belgium-based company Interbrew and Brazilian brewer AmBev.) The new company, Anheuser Busch InBev (BUD -0.07%) became the world's largest brewer. It took over Modelo -- and ownership of Corona -- in 2012 in a $20.1 billion deal.
As part of the deal, an antitrust lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice forced AB InBev to divest Modelo's entire U.S. business. That included its beer licenses, a brewery in Piedras Negras on the Texas-Mexico border, and its interest in Crown Imports, which was responsible for distributing its beverages in the United States. The Modelo business was acquired for about $4.75 billion in 2013 by Constellation Brands (STZ -0.97%).
The 2013 deal meant that Corona would be distributed by different corporations, with Constellation distributing the beverage in the United States, and AB InBev -- which also owns Stella Artois, Budweiser, Lowenbrau, Michelob, and Modelo Especial -- licensed to sell the beer in the rest of the world.
According to a Statista survey, Corona Extra was the second-most-popular beer in the U.S. in 2024, with 32% of respondents favoring it. It trailed Bud Light (33%) while edging out Budweiser (31%).
Shareholder
Other major shareholders in the AB InBev NYSE stock include:
- Dodge & Cox, which holds about 31.7 million of the 110.2 million total shares, worth about $1.9 billion.
- Fisher Asset Management, which claims 9.3 million shares worth about $555 million.
- The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company, with 9 million shares worth approximately $540 million.
- The Royal Bank of Canada (RY +0.14%), holding 6.2 million shares worth about $372.6 million.
- Citadel Advisors, with 4.5 million shares valued at roughly $268.4 million.
Who is on the board of directors for Corona?
AB InBev's board is composed of four independent directors: eight directors appointed by the Dutch foundation Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev, which represents the interests of the Belgian founding families of the company and the interests of the Brazilian families who held AmBev shares, and three members appointed by the restricted shareholders:
Board of Directors
How to invest in Corona
To buy shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev, you’ll need a brokerage account. If you still need to open one, these are some of the best-rated brokers and trading platforms. Here's a step-by-step guide to buying AB InBev stock using the five-star-rated platform Fidelity.
Fidelity makes it easy to buy stocks. Its website offers a video tutorial and a step-by-step guide. Here's a screenshot of how to place a stock trade with Fidelity:
On this page, fill out all the relevant information, including:
- The number of shares you want to buy or the amount you want to invest to purchase fractional shares.
- The ticker symbol (Bud for AB InBev).
- Whether you want to place a limit order or a market order. Know the difference between a market order and a limit order: The Motley Fool recommends using a market order since it guarantees you buy shares immediately at the market price.
Before you hit the "Place Order" button, figure out your budget. Are you in a position to invest in the market? Have you paid down high-interest credit card balances and created an emergency fund? How much can you spend? Do you want to buy all your shares at once or periodically, with dollar-cost averaging? These are all very good questions for investors to ask – and answer.
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Next, do your homework. You may want to skip AB InBev stock if:
- You think alcohol and beer consumption has peaked.
- You believe the company is too focused on certain products.
- You think AB InBev share prices are too high.
On the other hand, you may want to go ahead and buy AB InBev stock if:
- You think the U.S. beer sales will pick up again.
- You believe Corona and other AB InBev imported beers will continue to take a large share of the U.S. market.
- You think AB InBev stock is undervalued.
As with any other investment, there’s a short answer to why you might consider investing in this stock: It depends. Factors that might affect your decision include the level of your portfolio diversification, personal risk tolerance, company and industry knowledge, and assessment of AB InBev's competitive position.
If you've decided the pros of investing in the company outweigh the cons, then complete the order page, click the "Place Order" button at the bottom, and become an AB InBev shareholder.
