Greencore Group PLC
27 September 2006
CONTACT: CAROLINE BERGIN TEL: +353 (0)1 605 1004
PRE-CLOSE TRADING UPDATE
GREENCORE GROUP PLC ('GREENCORE') (IEX; GNC), the leading European convenience
foods group, today issues the following trading statement ahead of its year-end
on 29 September 2006.
TRADING UPDATE
The Group's expectations for the current year remain in line with previous
guidance.
Convenience Foods, our principal business division, continues to trade well. We
expect operating profits for the division to match the market consensus level of
Euro 68.6 million, representing continuing operating profit growth of in excess
of 5% for the full year. This performance will be delivered despite significant
cost pressures, the most noteworthy of which is energy inflation costs of more
than Euro 5 million. We expect strong second half trading to compensate for
lower profit growth reported in the first half. To date, second half trading
has delivered revenue growth of more than 7% and operating margin levels that
are broadly in line with the prior year.
We expect the Ingredients, Agribusiness and Related Property division to deliver
profits above the current market consensus of Euro 25.2 million. Since we
announced our decision to exit sugar processing on 15 March 2006, Greencore
Sugar has traded above our expectations. This stronger than anticipated profit
performance in Sugar has compensated for a continued weakness in EU malt
markets, a weakness compounded in the case of Greencore Malt by nearly Euro 4
million of energy price increases.
The combined performance of the two operating divisions is expected to be ahead
of market consensus. However, these gains will in part be offset by a higher
than anticipated increase in the Group's tax charge, reflecting a greater than
expected share of Group profits earned in the UK.
SUGAR RESTRUCTURING AID UPDATE
As announced on 28 July 2006, Greencore has been granted leave by the High Court
to challenge the Irish Government's decision on the allocation of the Euro 145
million EU Restructuring Fund. This Fund was put in place to compensate sugar
refiners forced to leave the industry as a result of EU sugar regime reform. On
31 July 2006, Greencore formally applied for restructuring aid by submitting a
restructuring plan to the Irish Government (in accordance with EU Regulations
320 and 968). As required by EU Regulations, this plan was deemed 'complete' by
the Irish Government on 8 August 2006.
Greencore has since agreed with the Irish Government that, conditional upon
Greencore's restructuring plan being approved, the Group will amend the plan to
reflect any lawful decision of Government taken pursuant to the outcome of our
legal proceedings. On 19 September 2006, the Government deemed Greencore's
restructuring plan to be 'eligible' for restructuring aid. This decision
ensures that the payment of EU aid can begin in June 2007.
Patrick Coveney
Chief Financial Officer
Greencore Group plc
St Stephen's Green House
Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2 27 September 2006
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Patrick Coveney, Chief Financial Officer Tel: +353 (0)1 6051018
Eoin Tonge, Group Capital Markets Director Tel: +353 (0)1 605 1036
Billy Murphy/Anne-Marie Curran, Drury Communications Tel: +353 (0)1 2605000
Rory Godson/Victoria Brough, Powerscourt Tel: +44 (0)207 236 5615
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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