Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Premier Foods to suspend pensions deficit payments early

(Sharecast News) - Premier Foods said on Wednesday that it will benefit from £33m increased free cash flow in the financial year to 29 March 2025 after reaching an agreement with the trustee of its pension scheme to suspend pension deficit contribution payments from 1 April 2024. The company - which owns Bisto, Ambrosia, Bird's and Batchelors, among others - said the suspension of future contributions is taking place earlier than originally expected, "reflecting the strong performance of the pension scheme, following the segregated merger in June 2020".

Administration costs associated with running the pension scheme of around £5m per year and the dividend match mechanism are currently unchanged.

Chief financial officer Duncan Leggett said: "The further significant progress in the funding position of the pension scheme has enabled us to take another important step to expected full resolution of the scheme by the end of 2026.

"This suspension of pension payments substantially increases the free cash flow available to us and presents us with enhanced capital allocation options to deliver on our growth ambitions.

"The scheme has reached this position following strong stewardship by the trustee over many years and we will continue to work collaboratively with them to further de-risk the scheme."

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

Goldman Sachs to scrap bonus cap for UK dealmakers
(Sharecast News) - Goldman Sachs will remove a cap on bonuses for its London-based staff, according to Sky News, with the firm now set to resume making multi-million-pound payouts to its top-performing traders and dealmakers.
Gazprom swings to $6.9bn loss as Europe sales plunge
(Sharecast News) - Russia's natural gas heavyweight Gazprom swung to huge loss in 2023 after sales to Europe dropped due to Western sanctions on Moscow.
London cabbies launch £250m legal action against Uber
(Sharecast News) - Uber Technologies is facing legal action on behalf of more than 10,500 London black cab drivers, it was confirmed on Thursday.
Peloton announces CEO departure; to cut 15% of workforce
(Sharecast News) - Peloton announced the departure of its chief executive on Thursday, alongside plans to cut around 15% of its workforce amid a restructuring programme aimed at reducing annual expenses by more than $200m.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.