Q: Dear Pat: In view of the world’s increasing electrification, I would be grateful for your analysis of Glencore Xstrata. It mines several metals used in the production and transmission of electricity. Thanks again for your invaluable advice.

A: Glencore Xstrata plc Holdings (ADR), $4.99, symbol GLCNF on the U.S. over-the-counter market (ADRs outstanding: 14.4 billion; Market cap: $73.1 billion; www.glencore.com), is an Anglo–Swiss multinational commodity-trading and mining company headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. The business is officially registered in Saint Helier, Jersey, while… Read More

AGRIUM INC. $132 – Toronto symbol AGU

AGRIUM INC. $132 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 144.0 million; Market cap: $19.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) gets 75% of its sales and 60% of its earnings from its retail stores, which… Read More

Agrium’s retail edge

Agrium continues to benefit from its focus on selling fertilizers and seeds to farmers through its retail chain. These stores help offset its more volatile fertilizer manufacturing business. That gives Agrium an advantage over pure fertilize companies like Potash Corp. (See next article in this… Read More

AGRIUM INC. $109 – Toronto symbol AGU

AGRIUM INC. $109 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 143.7 million; Market cap: $15.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.0; Dividend yield 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) gets just 3% of its revenue from potash, so the Russian mine shutdown will have little… Read More

Agrium is still our top fertilizer pick

A sinkhole recently forced Russia’s Uralkali to close its Solikamsk-2 mine, which accounts for 20% of Uralkali’s potash production and 3.5% of global capacity.

Uralkali didn’t say how long it would take to reopen the mine, but it could close it permanently.

Regardless of the… Read More

AGRIUM INC. $100 – Toronto symbol AGU

AGRIUM INC. $100 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 144.0 million; Market cap: $14.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.9; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) gets 80% of its sales and 65% of its earnings from its retail division, which… Read More

Global acquisitions add to their appeal

Expanding by acquisition always adds risk. That’s because new businesses can come with hidden problems that delay or offset the extra revenue and savings they bring. Particularly severe problems could force the buyer to write down the value of the acquired assets.

Buying companies in… Read More