AB InBev could bid $106 bln for SAB Miller -Sunday Times

By Anjali Athavaley

NEW YORK, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev SA could bid about $106 billion for SABMiller PLC (Xetra: BRW1.DE - news) within days, with an opening offer expected as early as Monday morning, the Sunday Times reported.

The world's two biggest brewers have begun "friendly" talks, sources told the Times. SABMiller, the maker of Peroni and Grolsch, is said to be playing hardball with AB InBev over price, but is not unreceptive to a deal.

AB InBev and SABMiller did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Earlier this month, AB InBev approached SABMiller about a takeover that would form a colossus producing a third of the world's beer. A merged group would have a market value of around $275 billion, and would combine AB InBev's dominance of Latin America with SABMiller's of Africa, both fast-growing markets, as well as their breweries in Asia.

(Reporting by Anjali Athavaley; Editing by Nick Zieminski)