Commodity Stock in Focus: Monsanto Company (MON)
The agribusiness industry has long been an investor favorite on Wall Street, as these companies provide indirect exposure to some of the most popular commodities on the market. Agricultural products are best known for human consumption, although these commodities are widely used in a number of other applications, making the producers of these products highly appealing [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The Next Big Industry: Farming Technology
On Wall Street, the agriculture business has long been a popular place for commodity trading. After all, it was with agricultural futures that commodity trading got its start, when farmers originally used futures contracts to offset losses in crop yields. Over the years, the agriculture space has rapidly developed, offering investors various options to cash in on the industry [for more agricultural news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Q4 2013 Earnings Scorecard: Commodity Stock Hits and Misses
2013′s fourth quarter earnings season saw companies across all sectors reporting both hits and misses. Alcoa set the tone for the commodity space, reporting a fourth quarter net loss of $2.3 billion and missed analysts’ EPS estimates. While other commodity stocks also managed to post better-than-expected results, some showed signs of weakness from 2013′s commodity slump. Overall, most companies managed to post better-than-expected earnings during the fourth quarter as compared to the third [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Monsanto Q1 Earnings Are In: Profits Climb
In the agribusiness space, Monsanto Company (MON) is one of the largest and most popular companies in the industry. It currently is the world’s leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate and the second biggest producer of genetically engineered seeds. And with a market cap of over $61 billion, investors pay close attention to this bellwether, closely following the company’s news and key earnings report [for more agricultural news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Beware Of A Dead Cat Bounce In Fertilizer Stocks (MON, POT, MOS)
Stocks have recovered from the “taper” scare and the bulls are back in the driver’s seat, although sluggish growth in Japan coupled with worse-than-expected retail sales at home may bring out the bears before this trading week is over. Major equity indexes continue to grind sideways as investors remain hesitant to push strongly in either direction; looming seat changes on the board of the Federal Reserve coupled with Congress re-opening the budget debate in September have given some investors plenty of reasons to avoid jumping in long amid the ongoing euphoria [for more commodity futures news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Dry Weather Leads To Rising Crop Prices
With Summer temperatures topping out around the United States, the heat could have consequences beyond rising electric bills. Corn and soybean crops will reach maturity over the next few weeks, but the dry heat affecting growing areas of the US could erode crop conditions. As the historically largest exporter of soybeans and corn, U.S. farmers have a lot of pressure to ensure a strong harvest this year but analysts are already predicting another rough summer for the commodity supply [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Commodity Stocks To Buy On The Dip: MON, NUE, PSX
U.S. markets have managed to rebound ferociously over the last two weeks as bargain shoppers stepped in following the Fed stimulus-fear induced sell-off which started on 5/22/2013. With earnings seasons upon us however, the bull may be in for a rude awakening as volatile trading and profit taking can sweep over Wall Street at the slightest sign of industry bellwethers missing the mark and revising their outlooks[for more commodity futures news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Monsanto Earnings Are In: Hits And Misses (MON)
In the world of agribusiness, there is no name more prolific then Monsanto Company (MON) – the world’s leading producer of the herbicide glyphosate and the second biggest producer of genetically engineered seeds. With a market cap of over $54 billion, investors pay close attention to this bellwether, following the company’s news and key earnings report [for more agricultural news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Wheat Faces Potential Headwinds
When it comes to agricultural commodities, wheat is perhaps one of the most important crops, as this resource is a dietary staple throughout both the emerging market and developed world. Because of this dependence, wheat prices tend to exhibit significant volatility, which can be triggered by a wide array of issues; anything from supply disruptions to extreme weather can easily send the commodity into a tailspin [for more commodity futures news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].