Dividend worries hang over Potash Corp.

Article Excerpt

POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $24 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 835.1 million; Market cap: $20.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.2; Dividend yield: 8.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com) continues to see weak demand for potash and other fertilizers in North America, Latin America and India. That’s because record harvests have cut prices for wheat, corn, soybeans and other crops. As a result, farmers have less income to spend on fertilizers. In addition, Russia’s Uralkali Group, the world’s largest potash producer, has increased production in an attempt to boost its market share. Prices could fall even further, as German potash producer K+S AG still plans to open its Legacy mine in southern Saskatchewan in 2016. In response to rising potash inventories, Potash Corp. will shut down three mines in Saskatchewan for three weeks in December. It will also permanently close an older mine in New Brunswick. Meantime, the company’s sales fell 6.8% in the three months ended September…