(Reuters) -Dutch supermarket group Ahold Delhaize reported a second-quarter profit margin that matched market expectations on Wednesday, saying a strong performance in Europe was offset by price cuts at its U.S. chains.
The group, which operates the Stop & Shop, Giant, Food Lion and Hannaford chains in the U.S. and the Albert Heijn and Delhaize chains in the Netherlands and Belgium, reported an underlying operating margin of 4% for the April-June period. Analysts had expected the same, according to a company-compiled consensus.
The group reported a 13.4% rise in sales in Europe to 9.94 billion euros ($11.51 billion), beating analysts expectations of 9.82 billion euros for the region.
“In Europe, our growth trajectory has been remarkable,” CEO Frans Muller said in a statement.
Ahold reiterated its full year guidance for 2025.
($1 = 0.8637 euros)
(Reporting by Dimitri Rhodes in Gdansk, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak)
