Shares in Astral Foods initially slumped on Tuesday morning after it warned investors of its first-ever loss. SA's biggest chicken producer is being battered by a litany of woes, including bird flu and load shedding.
Headline earnings per share are expected to fall in a range of between 145% and 155% for the year to end-September, implying a loss of between R480 million and R580 million for a group valued at R6 billion on the JSE.