Companhia de Bebidas das Americas, or Ambev, is the largest brewer in Latin America and the fourth-largest beer producer in the world.
Ambev was formed 1999 through the merger of Brazil's two largest beverage firms, Antarctica and Brahma. The company is now controlled by global beverage giant Anheuser Busch InBev (BUD), but more than 80% of its sales are made in South and Central America.
With Brazil as its largest market, analysts say Ambev stands to benefit from the growing middle class in Latin America's leading economy. Beyond Brazil, Ambev is also the dominant beer supplier in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Canada.
In addition to beer, Ambev is Pepsi's (PEP) largest bottler outside the United States, with exclusive rights to Gatorade and other soft drinks in Brazil and other markets.
Ambev is also the largest holding in a widely-held ETF called the Dow Jones Emerging Markets Consumer Titans Index (ECON).
