Still, AB InBev must win the approval of the close-knit group of Modelo shareholders - many of whom are related to the company's founders - who control the company. That is unlikely to come cheaply. Modelo shares jumped 19.3 percent to close at 116.87 pesos on Mexico's stock exchange, which earlier suspended trading in the stock after it soared early on. That made Modelo worth about $US27.2 billion at today's exchange rate. AB InBev shares, which were also briefly suspended, closed up 2 per cent at 56.75 euros, making them the biggest gainer in the FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares. A deal would benefit AB InBev because it would give the company control of a brand that sets the price for import beers, or the high end of the beer market in the United States, wrote Consumer Edge Research analyst Brett Cooper.