The US company, maker of “king of beers” Bud­weiser, accepted an increased offer from Belgium-­based InBev, bringing an end to a month-long and increasingly hostile battle. The enlarged InBev, best-known for Stella and Beck’s brands, will leapfrog FTSE 100 company SABMiller.

InBev, which also owns Bodding­tons and Bass in the UK, secured victory by raising its offer by $5 a share to $70.

“We are going to bring the best of both firms into one company, our footprint with their amazing brands,” said InBev chief Carlos Brito.

The bid raised political concerns in the US about ownership of an iconic American brand and fears of heavy job losses.

InBev has already pledged to retain Anheuser Busch’s headquarters in St Louis, Missouri, and all 12 of its US breweries.

This year has already seen the £8billion break-up of Scottish & Newcastle by Carlsberg and Heineken, and analysts believe it could spur SABMiller, up 31p to 1056p, to try to regain the top spot.