Smart & Final

LOS ANGELES - Smart & Final Inc. today reported net income of $163,000, or $0.01 per diluted share, for the 12-week quarter ended March 23, 2003. First-quarter 2002 net income was $587,000, or $0.02 per diluted share.

November 22, 2002 - PITTSBURGH -- H. J. Heinz Company announced today that the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a private letter ruling that Heinz's previously announced spin-off of certain businesses and their subsequent merger with Del Monte Corporation, a subsidiary of Del Monte Foods Company, will be tax free to the companies and their U.S.-based shareholders.

November 20, 2002 -- SAN DIEGO, CA -- ICON Group International Ltd. today released two comprehensive studies on labor productivity and vertical gap analysis benchmarks for The Kroger Co.

LOS ANGELES - Smart & Final Inc. on Tuesday said its same store sales increased 2.5 percent for the 16-week quarter ended Oct. 6, 2002. The company's net income slid to $2.7 million, or $0.09 per diluted share, compared to $3.9 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the same period last year.

NEW YORK - Wal-Mart Stores Inc. last week sued its life insurers, American International Group Inc. and Hartford Financial Services, to get back $150 million it says it lost through a life insurance policy for employees, Reuters reports.

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Mexican grocery chain Gigante is facing resistance from city officials in Anaheim, Calif., who object to a proposed store in Orange County because of zoning concerns and the fact that it is "too Hispanic for the location," The Orange County Register reports.

LOS ANGELES - Citing the pressures of increased competition and added costs, Smart & Final Inc. reported a 40 percent fall in net income for the second quarter ended June 16. Income was $2.1 million versus $3.6 million in 2001's second quarter. Year-to-date, net income totaled $2.6 million, compared with $4.2 million during the same period last year.

LOS ANGELES - Smart & Final Inc., operators of warehouse-style stores and two foodservice distribution companies, on Monday reported earnings of $0.18 per diluted share for the 16-week third quarter ended Oct. 7, 2001, compared to earnings of $0.14 per diluted share in the third quarter of the prior year, an increase of 29% in per share results.