By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, Mo – Anheuser-Busch says it welcomes billionaire Warren Buffett as a new stakeholder in the largest brewer. The St. Louis-based beermaker, the nation's largest, says Warren Buffett's holding company, Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway, has acquired a "significant" stake in it.
Anheuser-Busch isn't saying how much of a stake the company bought.
Analysts say Berkshire's interest in Anheuser-Busch could be viewed as a vote of confidence by Buffett in the brewer's long-term potential despite its recent struggles as the U.S. beer business has softened.
Earlier this month, Anheuser-Busch cut its earnings forecast for 2005 for the second time this year.