BRUSSELS, Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) - Belgian-Brazilian brewing giant InBev posted Thursday a better-than-expected 27 percent increase in second-quarter net profit, boosted by a strong performance in emerging market countries.

The brewer, which owns such brands as Stella Artois, Beck's and Brahma, booked a net profit of 499 million euros (681 million dollars) for the period from April through June, up from 394 million in the same period of 2006.