Thứ Năm, 28 tháng 3, 2013

Nufarm shares fall 15 per cent

SHARES in Nufarm have fallen almost 15 per cent, after the agricultural chemicals supplier booked a 53 per cent fall in profit and slashed its outlook.

At 1104 AEDT on Thursday, Nufarm was 70 cents, or 14.68 per cent, lower at $4.07.

On Wednesday, after the share market had closed, Nufarm released its financial results for the first six months of its fiscal year.

Nufarm's net profit for the six months to January 31 fell 53.5 per cent to $8.4 million, and the company slashed its outlook.

Hot, dry conditions in Australia had reduced demand for crop protection products, and Nufarm was also hurt by foreign exchange losses.

Nufarm managing director Doug Rathbone said that agricultural companies were always exposed to the weather, but seasonal conditions in Australia were exceptionally bad.

Morningstar analyst Peter Rae said Nufarm's downgraded full year outlook showed that the company remained exposed to cyclical demand from agricultural markets and had limited pricing power in some of its products.

Nonetheless, Nufarm's financial result did not change his overall view of Nufarm.

"It has a sound global crop protection business with strong distribution capabilities and key market positions in its core products," Mr Rae said in a research note.

Mr Rathbone said on Wednesday that Nufarm was unlikely to make up the lost ground from the first half of the year and a poor start to the second half of the year.

Nufarm's underlying full-year net profit was expected to be below last year's, and within a range of $80 million to $95 million.


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