AB Foods earnings held back by sugar

LONDON, Apr 24 (Reuters): Associated British Foods reported flat first-half earnings, reflecting a fall in sugar revenue and profit that was offset by growth in all its other businesses.

The group, which owns the Primark fashion chain, food brands such as Ovaltine, Ryvita and Twinings, and major sugar, agriculture and ingredients businesses, said on Wednesday it made adjusted earnings per share of 61.1 pence in the 24 weeks to March 2 on revenue up 1 per cent to 7.53 billion pounds ($9.74 billion).

For the full 2018-19 year AB Foods maintained its previous guidance of adjusted EPS in line with the 2017-18 outcome.