Montréal, Nov. 21 - The Company realized net earnings of $57.6 million compared to $78.9 million. Fully diluted net earnings per share were $0.49 compared to $0.68. Excluding non-recurring items recorded in the fourth quarters of 2007 and 2006 as well as the impact of the 53rd week in 2006, adjusted net earnings(1)(2) for the fourth quarter of 2007 would have been $66.8 million versus $64.6 million for the corresponding quarter of 2006, an increase of 3.4%. Adjusted fully diluted net earnings per share(1)(2) would have been $0.57 versus $0.55 for the corresponding quarter of 2006, an increase of 3.6%.
- The Company's sales for the fourth quarter of 2007 reached $2,432.4 million compared to $2,673.5 million recorded for the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal year. Excluding the 53rd week of 2006, decreased sales of tobacco products and lost sales due to the disposal, in the fourth quarter of 2006, of our interest in a grocery wholesaler, sales would have increased by 0.7%. Same-store sales increased by 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2007.
- Our integration and rationalization plan, scheduled for the first two years following the acquisition of A&P Canada, has been completed, including the conversion to our information systems of all computer applications we had been outsourcing to A&P US.