NET exceptional costs of £11.7 million (€13.7m) resulted in profits at Greencore being halved in the group’s latest financial year.

GREENCORE has announced that talks relating to a takeover of the company have broken down.

SHARES in Greencore jumped by more than 20%, at one point yesterday, on news that the company has received a possible takeover approach.

ONE-IN-THREE prepared sandwiches sold in Britain will come from Irish food company Greencore, following its takeover of British firm Uniq.

GREENCORE is to acquire British convenience food group Uniq for about £113 million (€125m).

Greencore has today swooped for M&S food supplier Uniq in a deal wrapping up the last remaining slice of the former Unigate empire.

Greencore Group today swooped for M&S food supplier Uniq in a deal wrapping up the last remaining slice of the former Unigate empire.

THE results from Greencore, former owners of Irish Sugar — shut down a few years ago due to misguided thinking — showed some resilience.

GROUP sales of €442 million were achieved by Greencore for the six months to March 25, an increase of 4.4% on a constant currency basis.

THE shares of Greencore Group, whose focus is the own-brand convenience food sector in Britain, rose 2.99% to €2.99 yesterday, following speculation about its future.

CONVENIENCE food group Greencore will be hit by lower earnings over the next two years due mainly to the rising cost of raw materials.

CONVENIENCE food group Greencore has pulled out of the battle to gain control of Northern Foods.

Supermarket sandwich maker Greencore this morning announced that it does not intend to make a revised offer for Leeds-based Northern Foods, which makes Fox's biscuits and Goodfella's pizza.

GREENCORE is still mulling its options regarding a potential merger with Northern Foods after British food tycoon Ranjit Boparan said a third of the company’s shareholders backed his bid for the firm.

GREENCORE’S private equity joint venture partner interested in making a counter bid for Northern Food is not Och Ziff, as speculated.

THE latest move by Greencore Group to mount a counter-bid for Northern Foods has been criticised by two leading Irish stockbrokers as bad for the company’s shareholders.

Miners and banking stocks dragged the FTSE 100 Index into the red today as concerns over global political unrest hit investor sentiment.

CONVENIENCE food group Greencore has teamed up with a private equity firm in a fresh effort to mount a counter offer for Northern Foods, it has emerged.

BOPARAN Holdings has announced its €402 million offer document for the purchase of Northern Foods was posted to the group’s shareholders yesterday.

THE board of Greencore was condemned yesterday for the high salaries being paid to top executives and for its failure to deliver on the share price, which has fallen to €1.14 following the collapse of the proposed merger with Northern Foods.

Supermarket sandwich maker Greencore told shareholders today it was still mulling over whether to launch a counter offer for former merger partner Northern Foods.

GREENCORE has been advised not to try and trump Ranjit Boparan’s £342 million (€401.7m) bid for Northern Foods and to walk away from the sale process by NCB stockbrokers.

THE ISEQ index started the week with a strong gain of 47.82 to 2,893.37.

London's FTSE 100 Index shrugged off concerns in the banking sector today as a buoyant session on Wall Street helped blue chips make gains.

Shares in Northern Foods today soared 15% after its management backed a £342m (€402m) buy-out offer from the owner of the Harry Ramsden’s fish restaurants.

MANAGEMENT at Greencore will be under severe pressure to resuscitate the company’s bid to take over Northern Foods after a last-minute £342 million (€401.7m) bid eclipsed the Irish company’s offer at the weekend.

The owner of the Harry Ramsden’s restaurants has made a £342m (€402m) bid for Goodfella’s Pizza-maker Northern Foods.

GREENCORE’s planned merger with Northern Foods was under threat last night, following a last minute play for the British group from a rival bidder.

PROVIDED the euro stays at between 85 and 88 pence sterling in 2011, Greencore, the Irish convenience food group, said it expects to deliver strong growth in the current financial year.

GREENCORE’S planned merger with Northern Foods was in turmoil yesterday following reports of a £300m (€355m) bid for the makers of Goodfellas pizzas.

THE ISEQ index shed 1.46 points to 2,874.10 yesterday.

The FTSE 100 Index marched further towards the 6000 mark as stocks shook off disappointing economic news in the UK and US.

Goodfella’s pizza and Fox’s biscuit firm Northern Foods today confirmed West Midlands tycoon Ranjit Boparan had requested access to its books amid speculation he is planning a £300m (€353m) bid.

GREENCORE will apply to the Commercial Court on Monday to approve the appointment of accountancy firm Ernst & Young as “joint expert” to report on the proposed merger of Greencore and Northern Foods to shareholders of both companies.

GREENCORE and British based Northern Foods are to merge, creating a €2 billion company.

The company behind Fox’s biscuits and Goodfella’s pizza today announced plans to merge with the biggest sandwich maker in the UK.

Northern Foods today said sales were lower after it pulled out of low-margin contracts and reduced promotional spending during the World Cup.

Broadcaster BSkyB was centre of attention on the London market today after a better-than-feared verdict from regulator Ofcom over the amount it can charge rivals for premium sports.

BSkyB's clash with regulator Ofcom over the amount it can charge rivals for premium sports content failed to dent its shares today.

A former All-Ireland footballer today went on hunger strike alongside a frozen food plant co-worker over management’s refusal to reinstate or compensate three sacked staff.

There was further stock market pain for retailers today after Marks & Spencer sent a chill through the sector with warnings over the trading outlook.