Ahold: breaking up is hard to do

Against a backdrop of stagnating sales, troubled retailer Ahold has come under pressure from two hedge funds, Centaurus and Paulson. Holding a 6.4% stake in the company, the two shareholders claim that the current share price of E7.33 could rise to E9, if the group were broken up into its separate units - a prospect that now appears increasingly real.

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Ahold: CEO moves on

Anders Moberg, the architect of Ahold's 'Road to Recovery' program, is leaving the retailer. While the board sees the change in management as coinciding with its next phase of development, the timing of the departure seems odd as the divestment of US Foodservice has not yet been completed. By the end of the year the retailer is set to be a food only operation, but its wider future looks uncertain.

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Ahold: disappointing US figures, much work ahead

Ahold's 2006 results reveal a weak US performance and a large task ahead. Ahold's sales reached E44.9 billion, up 2% on 2005. While the Dutch retailer delivered strong growth in its domestic market, the US business, accounting for 70% of turnover, is struggling. Going forward, Ahold needs to reduce debt, return its US and Czech operations to profitability and divest its US foodservice operation.

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Ahold: the last days of Disco

Scandal-ridden Ahold can't afford any more nasty surprises, so it's focusing on mature markets. For a healthier firm, however, Ahold's South American businesses are a strong opportunity. Emerging markets specialist Tesco understandably decided in March not to buy out the struggling Dutch company - but its Brazilian unit could be another story.

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Ahold: trouble in the US ongoing

Ahold's strong Q4 trading in the Netherlands could not offset the losses incurred in the US, where long running underperformance continued, even though US like-for-like sales declines were clearly exacerbated by a weak dollar. This could prompt activist shareholders Centaurus and Paulson & Co to step up their pressure on the retailer to break up its operations.

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Air fresheners in South and Central America: top fragrances in new products

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Air fresheners: top fragrances in new products

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Air fresheners: top fragrances in new products

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Ajinomoto: aiming to make gains in the downturn with frozen rice

Japanese food company Ajinomoto is aiming to capitalize on the economic downturn by increasing its frozen rice business in the US. This strategy has a good chance of panning out well for the company, given that the downturn has meant that Americans are increasingly eating at home and looking to frozen products as cost-saving alternatives to fresh foods.

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Albertsons: exotic offerings are a wealth of opportunity

US superstore chain Albertsons posted Q1 results ahead of analysts' expectations, with the retailer citing the Shaw's acquisition and recovery from a strike as key growth drivers. However the chain faces stiff competition both from high-end retailers and discount stores, yet its decision to target increasingly cosmopolitan consumer tastes should offer a means to counter this.

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