Drought adds to Potash Corp.'s appeal

Article Excerpt

POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $42 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 859.1 million; Market cap: $36.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.2; Dividend yield: 1.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) is the world’s largest fertilizer producer. Its six potash mines in Saskatchewan and one in New Brunswick account for 20% of global potash capacity. Four of its mines have reserves of between 75 and 108 years. It also makes fertilizers from nitrogen and phosphate. Results reflect erratic fertilizer prices The company’s sales and earnings vary with volatile fertilizer prices. That’s why its sales jumped from $5.2 billion in 2007 to $9.4 billion in 2008, but dropped to $4.0 billion in 2009 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). Sales recovered to $6.5 billion in 2010, and rose to $8.7 billion in 2011. Earnings shot up from $1.15 a share (or a total of $1.1 billion) in 2007 to $3.67 a share (or $3.5 billion) in 2008, but…