Reuters first with Metro’s sales target slash

Reuters landed a scoop on July 29th with news that Metro, the world’s No. 4 retailer, has slashed its 2011 sales target for the year, information that the market had been anticipating for days. The news, which came a few days before Metro is due to publish second-quarter financial results, caused Metro’s share price to slump as much 3.6 percent. The company had affirmed its 2011 earnings target at an event on Tuesday and told the press it would not make any comments on its sales goal that day. However, Reuters reporters found out that Metro had guided analysts lower at the time and confronted the company.