A-B InBev in $11.3B sale

Anheuser-Busch InBev agreed to sell its Australian unit to Asahi Group Holdings for $11.3 billion, positioning the world’s biggest brewer to pare its heavy debt and pursue acquisitions in higher-growth markets to offset slumping beer volumes in the US.

A-B InBev shares jumped 5.5 percent Friday as investors welcomed the price struck for the unit, Carlton and United Breweries, plus an indication from the company that it was still considering an initial public offering of its Asia businesses.