Canadian coffee roaster and distributor Van Houtte has posted a fall in first-quarter profit and warned its fiscal 2004 earnings could be lower than expected.


Van Houtte reported earnings of C$3.3m (US$2.4m), or 15 cents a share, for the first-quarter to 19 July, compared to $5.3m, or 25 cents a share, a year earlier.


Sales slid to $93.4m from $94.4m in the year-ago period.


The company attributed the fall in first-quarter profit to $1m in severance pay for its previous president and chief executive, as well as expenses incurred with the launch of new coffee machines and the expansion of its US sales network.


Analysts had been expecting Van Houtte to earn $1.01 per share in its fiscal year 2004.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

“We were expecting C$1 (per share profit) at the start of the year, but we are giving ourselves a couple of months to revise this,” Van Houtte’s new president and chief executive, Jean-Yves Monette, was quoted by Reuters as saying.