A-B shares upgraded by Bear Stearns analyst.(Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc.)(Brief article)

Bear Stearns beverage analyst Carlos Laboy upgraded shares of Anheuser-Busch this past week, from "underperform" to "peer perform."

Laboy said the brewer would likely do better this year, citing A-B's deluge of new specialty products, the acquisition of import rights for Grolsch and Tiger, and the likelihood that the brewer's sales have nowhere to go but up.

In a note to investors, Laboy wrote, "We believe Anheuser-Busch's fundamental story is growing stronger and should improve materially by 2007."

LaB