Long-term trends favour Agrium

Article Excerpt

BHP Billiton’s failed bid for Potash Corp. helped draw investor attention to the fertilizer industry and agricultural commodities, such as wheat and corn. Prices for these agricultural products remain highly volatile, but their long-term outlook is bright. That’s because rising incomes in rapidly developing countries, like India and China, are spurring demand for more and better food. We feel that Agrium offers the best way to profit from rising food demand in these nations. The company is expanding in the Asia-Pacific region, and its growing retail business helps protect it from rapidly changing fertilizer prices. AGRIUM INC. $82 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 158.0 million; Market cap: $13.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.3; Dividend yield: 0.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) makes fertilizers from natural gas at 14 plants in North America and Argentina. Calgary-based Agrium is located near large natural-gas producers in western Canada. As a result, it tends to pay less for its gas than its main…