Topic: Growth Stocks

Wall Street Stock Forecaster Hotline – Friday, June 26, 2015

Article Excerpt

MONSANTO CO., $105.21, New York symbol MON, develops and sells technology-based agricultural products, such as genetically modified seeds, to farmers, grain processors and food companies. It also sells weed- and pest-control products. The company reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings this week, but a weaker forecast for the full fiscal year caused the stock to fall 7%. In the third quarter of its 2015 fiscal year, which ended May 31, 2015, Monsanto earned $1.1 billion, up 33.0% from $858 million a year earlier. Earnings per share gained 47.5%, to $2.39 from $1.62, on fewer shares outstanding. That easily beat the consensus estimate of $2.07. Sales rose 7.7%, to $4.58 billion from $4.25 billion, though that missed the consensus forecast of $4.61 billion. Seed sales (which account for 70% of Monsanto’s total) rose 5.0%. Even though lower prices have prompted farmers to plant fewer crops overall, the company saw strong demand for its new corn and soybean seeds, which offset weaker sales of cotton and other seeds…