Ahold results due after banks agree delay

Dutch retailer Ahold will issue audited and consolidated 2002 results on Thursday after its syndicated banks agreed to a delay…

Dutch retailer Ahold will issue audited and consolidated 2002 results on Thursday after its syndicated banks agreed to a delay.

The world's third-biggest retailer, emerging from a $1-billion accounting scandal, pushed back the announcement of its 2002 results until it had investigated how deep the bookkeeping irregularities, mostly at its key US Foodservice unit, had run and had corrected them.

Ahold, which had an earlier deadline from its lending banks to present its accounts by midnight, said in a statement today it will also publish its restated accounts for 2001 and 2000 on Thursday.