Brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a fall in quarterly net profit yesterday, saying that a sales slump in Europe and the United States had outweighed sparkling results in Brazil and China.

The Belgian-Brazilian company, the maker of brands such as Budweiser, Leffe and Stella Artois, expressed optimism for the last three months of the year after a drop in sales in Europe and North America.

AB InBev reported a net profit of $1.4 billion between July and September, a 7.2 per cent drop compared to the same period last year.

The volume of beer brewed in the third quarter surged by 12.5 per cent in Brazil, 8.1 per cent in China and eight per cent in Russia.

“In contrast, North America and Western Europe remained challenging, with volumes declining in the low single digits,” the company said in a statement.

Sales to retailers in the United States fell by four per cent owing to persistently high unemployment, which is “increasing the economic pressure on many consumers,” it said.

The brewer, however, said it was “encouraged by better mix trends in the United States” as its Bud Light brand gained a share in the marketplace as consumers went back to premium brands.

AB InBev launched initiatives to support its flagship brand in the United States, Budweiser, and intends to launch it in Brazil next year.

“Overall, we expect international Budweiser’s growth to drive both market share gains and improved mix, given its above core positioning,” the company said.

The third-quarter results were in line with forecasts by analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires.

The brewer’s sales fell by 4.5 per cent to $9.3 billion in the quarter while its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation fell 0.45 per cent to $3.5 billion.

The company produced 106.7 million hectolitres of beer worldwide in the third quarter. It was a 0.4 per cent drop from the same period last year.