Cuisine de France owner Aryzta saw its share price dip yesterday despite it successfully launching its debt restructuring round at an attractive yield.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Shares in paper and packaging group Smurfit Kappa jumped more than 3% in early trading yesterday on the back of it posting a 31% increase in quarterly profits and forecasting strong earnings growth for the full year.

Irish-founded glass and metal packaging group Ardagh has named former Smurfit Kappa Group executive Ian Curley as its new chief executive, coinciding with an announcement confirming its $3.42bn (€3bn) purchase of certain assets currently owned by US beverage can makers Ball and Rexam.

Executive pay levels at Smurfit Kappa Group declined by nearly 39% last year, amid a shake-up of the group’s management.

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) cut its executive pay levels by nearly 3% last year, with chief executive Gary McGann seeing a near 7% reduction.

Paper and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa Group will return surplus cash to shareholders this year if it fails to land any target acquisitions.

Packaging company Smurfit Kappa yesterday announced that it had struck a deal to acquire an American competitor for $150m (€118.24m).

Foreign multinationals in the information and communications technology sector continue to dominate as the country’s largest exporters.

Earnings per share at Smurfit Kappa Group are expected to grow by up to 5% next year, with the company saving more than €20 million in annual interest costs on the back of it repaying €500m worth of debt five years ahead of maturity.

Paper and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa Group has reported an 81% annualised increase in first-quarter profits, with earnings considerably boosted by a strong underlying performance from its operations in the Americas.

Shares in paper and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa Group rose over 1% yesterday on the back of a strong set of third quarter figures and indications of improvements in the European market, which still makes up the vast majority of group revenue.

Smurfit Kappa Group has extended its reach in the UK market by acquiring a packaging company for an undisclosed sum.

Smurfit Kappa Group has extended its reach in the UK market by acquiring a packaging company for an undisclosed sum.

Paper and packaging giant Smurfit Kappa Group stands to make annual interest cost savings of around €3m, by repaying €500m of debt four years ahead of schedule.

Smurfit Kappa Group has estimated that annual revenue contribution from its markets outside of Western Europe will nearly double over the next two years.

Irish stocks are climbing three times faster than equities in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal as the nation looks to become the first country to exit a EU-led bailout.

Shareholders in paper and packaging giant, Smurfit Kappa Group were told, yesterday, that the company’s strong balance sheet should allow it to continue awarding investors, following a resumption of dividend payments last year.

Europe is facing a “silent crisis” unless it becomes more pro-business, more competitive and less regulatory, delegates at yesterday’s Ibec CEO conference heard.

Global markets were down yesterday as profit-taking drove most back from yesterday’s gains following on from the fiscal cliff deal, but more good news on the US jobs front trimmed back the losses and kept most markets ahead of the curve.

It was a positive start to December across European markets as most started the month fractionally ahead.

Pre-tax profits at Smurfit Kappa Group grew by 33% — on a year-on-year basis — to €295 million, in the first nine months of this year.

Dublin-headquartered paper and packaging business Smurfit Kappa Group has agreed to acquire US containerboard manufacturer Orange County Container Group for $340m (€260m) in a deal aimed at boosting its presence in Mexico.

The Iseq Index returned to positive territory yesterday after several days in the red as markets reacted nervously ahead of this weekend’s crucial Greek elections.

Irish packaging group Smurfit Kappa Group is undervalued compared to similar companies operating in the same sector, according to Davy Stockbrokers.

Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) chairman Liam O'Mahony told shareholders at the company's AGM this morning that 2011 "marked the second best year ever in the Group’s comparatively recent history".

Packaging firm Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) has reported a 20% annual rise in operating profits for the first quarter 2012.

European stocks dropped to their lowest levels for three months on the back of slower than anticipated growth in the eurozone economy and fresh fears of a Greek default.

EUROPEAN stock markets showed moderate gains yesterday, as investors seemed not to be put off by the weekend’s widespread eurozone downgrading actions of credit rating giant Standard & Poor’s.

THE ISEQ continued its solid start to the week with another 1% rise, pushing the market back up towards the 3,000 point, a psychological marker it has not breached since May 2011.

POSITIVE data from the US, Britain and Germany — pointing to some level of economic upswing — boosted markets, yesterday, with most starting the year with good gains.

DUBLIN’s ISEQ index shrugged off its negative start to the week, with a near 1.5% rebound yesterday; as European markets — in general — benefited from hopeful investors unwilling to be put off by negative soundings coming from the IMF and a credit ratings downgrade for Italy.

EUROPEAN stockmarkets including Ireland’s ISEQ index recovered yesterday, but fears of a Greek exit from the eurozone or debt default marginalised any gains.

IRELAND’s ISEQ index proved to be one of the better performing European exchanges yesterday, asinternational markets showed a mixed reaction to Tuesday’s between Franco- German talks

THE volatility seen on the international markets over the past week-and-a-half continued yesterday, with most exchanges back up after significant dips on Wednesday.

The ISEQ fell 64.44 points yesterday in bank holiday trading to end at 2,756.84.

THURSDAY’s wide-reaching agreements aimed at saving the eurozone triggered only modest gains across European markets yesterday.

PAPER and packaging giant, Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) is set to focus further on debt reduction after knocking nearly €50m off its net debt during the first quarter of the year.

STOCK markets could deliver double-digit growth this year, but that optimistic forecast could be in tatters by the year end.

PAPER and packaging giant, Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) has extended its debt maturity profile to over five years, in a move which management sees as enhancing the company’s financial flexibility.

THE ISEQ index yesterday posted a small loss of 5.64 points to 2,664.06 in relatively light trading.

SMURFIT Kappa Group (SKG) is expecting to generate earnings growth of around 20% this year, despite just posting a pre-tax loss of €9 million for the first half.