This thread may not get a comment, but here is a sleeper up to now.

Somerfield gets new CEO as profits jump
By Sonya Dowsett

LONDON (Reuters) - Somerfield (LSE: SOF.L - news) has announced a giant leap in full-year profits after store revamps and cost cuts paid off, and says sales have kept rising since the year-end.

The firm said on Wednesday Chief Executive John von Spreckelsen, who has overseen a turnaround programme at the grocer, would now concentrate on his role as chairman and Finance Director Steve Back would take on the CEO role as of September 1.

Somerfield reported pre-tax profits before exceptional items of 41.1 million pounds for the 52 weeks ended April 24, up from 25.8 million pounds last year. Analysts were expecting profits to come in a range of 38-45 million pounds.

Having rejected a takeover approach last summer, the grocer has pledged to speed up investment in its stores, cut costs and plough savings back into price cuts as it competes against supermarket giants like Tesco (LSE: TSCO.L - news - msgs) and Sainsbury .

Somerfield said sales continued to rise in the first nine weeks of the new financial year, with like-for-like sales at the Somerfield stores up 2.9 percent in that period and up 2.4 percent at Kwik Save stores, aimed at the budget-conscious shopper.

Last month Somerfield unveiled plans to convert or close its 51 Kwik Save stores in Scotland at the expense of 350 jobs.

Somerfield rejected a 120 pence-per-share indicative offer from entrepreneurs John Lovering and Bob Mackenzie last summer, saying it substantially undervalued the company.

David Cheyne will replace Steve Back as finance director.

I think it is not all over yet.People in Whitchurch lane still think Apex could walk away.