Beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev sees operating profits rise for 2023 despite backlash over Bud Light

Multinational beer and beverage company Anheuser-Busch InBev, maker of Budweiser, Bud Light, Stella Artois and Corona, has reported a 7% increase in operating profit for last year, even as as sales sagged in the United States due to a decline in demand for Bud Light. The company's most popular brand there was hit by a backlash after it sent a commemorative can to transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. The earnings news came hours after the company avoided a strike by 5,000 of its U.S. workers as negotiators reached agreement late Wednesday.