Sugar sours AB's 利益（をあげる）s

By This Is Money
Updated: 12:21 BST, 11 September 2006

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ASSOCIATED British Foods today said it 推定する／予想するd a 削減 in second-half 収入s as it 報告（する）／憶測d contrasting fortunes at Primark and its sugar 商売／仕事.

The 会社／堅い said 堅い 貿易（する）ing at the sugar arm and パン屋 操作／手術s coupled with 急に上がるing energy costs would eat into second-half 利益（をあげる）s.

AB Foods 予報するd the 下降 in April and today said the 削減 in 収入s 'will be in line with our 期待s' as EU sugar 割当 削減（する）s started to take 持つ／拘留する.

However, the 商売／仕事 あられ／賞賛するd 'very strong sales' at its 予算 着せる／賦与するing chain Primark as it 報告（する）／憶測d an 増加する in second half 利益（をあげる）s growth.

The company said like-for-like sales in the second half of the year had matched the 'exceptionally strong' growth of 12% for the same period last year, while it 推定する／予想するs growth for the 十分な year to be 3%.

The company's British Sugar 操作／手術 - known in the shops as Silver Spoon - said 収入s are dropping as 削減（する）s in prices 保証（人）d by the European Union 同時に起こる／一致する with a raft of cost 増加するs.

まっただ中に 開始するing 批評, the European （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 agreed to 削除する the price of sugar and beet by 36% and 39% それぞれ over a four-year period from July.

The （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 hopes that the 改革（する）s will consign sugar mountains to history and 許す 生産者s in the world's poorest countries to 栄える.

However, the move has left AB Foods trying to 対処する with 不均衡s in 供給（する） and 需要・要求する in the sugar market which have 誘発するd price 圧力s.

But, in a 貿易（する）ing 声明 today, the 会社／堅い 強調する／ストレスd its 見積（る）s of the 影響 on operating 利益（をあげる）s in the next 財政上の year remained 不変の.

At its Primark arm, the company said today its programme for refitting and 開始 a （製品，工事材料の）一回分 of the former Littlewoods 蓄える／店s had continued on schedule.

It said the year had seen a 40% 増加する in 小売 selling space with 143 蓄える／店s operating, 含むing the group's first shop in Spain.

The company has made £1.5bn 価値（がある） of 投資s in 最近の months, 含むing the 取得／買収 of 蓄える／店s from the Littlewoods and Allders chains.

This summer Primark 得点する／非難する／２０d a success with a cotton polka dot dress, with almost 100,000 racing across the 反対する at £10 each.

AB Foods also said its Twinings, Ovaltine and Ryvita 商売／仕事s had all 達成するd strong 利益（をあげる）s growth during the year.