** Dutch food retailer Ahold Delhaize AD.AS shares fall 2% after the company said that CEO Frans Muller will step down around April 2027, overshadowing an otherwise solid set of Q1 results

** KBC says the sell-off is driven by the CEO exit, with Muller seen as key to the group's strong track record and successful integration of Ahold and Delhaize

** Muller will be succeeded by Thierry Garnier, currently CEO of Kingfisher, who also has two decades of experience at Carrefour

** The group's heavy U.S. exposure also weighed on reported numbers, with sales down 4.3% due to currency effects

** Q1 underlying operating profit rose 8.1% at constant currency to 896 million euros ($1.05 billion), ahead of analyst expectations

** Up to the previous session's close, shares were up 13.1%​ YTD

($1 = 0.8525 euros)