“We’re confident in our ability to deliver the targets we’ve set in both the near term and over the longer term.” –Monsanto Chairman and CEO Hugh Grant
Monsanto Co. registró una pérdida menor en el cuarto trimestre en comparación con el año anterior, impulsada por mayores ventas de semillas y productos fitosanitarios. Advirtió que se espera que sus ganancias de protección de cultivos sean menores en 2015.
Executives commented that the balance of the company’s global business “positions it well for continued growth and investment in fiscal year 2015 as the company executes on its plan to at least double ongoing earnings per share over the next five years.”
"Confiamos en nuestra capacidad para cumplir los objetivos que nos hemos fijado tanto a corto como a largo plazo", dijo Hugh Grant, presidente y director ejecutivo.
Monsanto reported net sales of about $2.6 billion in the quarter, compared with $2.2 billion in the year-earlier period. Its Seeds and Genomics business accounted for $1.4 billion in sales, up from $1.2 billion a year ago, while its Agricultural Productivity business — which comprises its crop protection and lawn-and-garden herbicide products — posted sales of $1.3 billion, up from $1 billion a year ago.
Monsanto’s net loss totaled $156 million in the quarter, compared with a net loss of $249 million in the same period last year.
Para el año fiscal, Monsanto logró ventas del segmento de Semillas y Genómica de $10.7 mil millones, lideradas por un año récord para su cartera global de soja que logró un aumento de 27% con respecto al año anterior. En 2014, la compañía también aumentó los márgenes de maíz a pesar de que su negocio de maíz enfrentó vientos en contra por la reducción de acres y efectos cambiarios. Dentro del negocio global del maíz, el costo de los productos vendidos de la compañía fue menor, la mezcla de la cartera estaba bien encaminada, el aumento total del precio fue positivo y tuvo un buen volumen frente a la disminución de acres plantados, dijo Monsanto.
Looking ahead, the company expects 2015 profit to grow in the double-digit to mid-teens on a percentage basis, powered by its core corn and soybean businesses. For Agricultural Productivity, it expects the segment gross profit to be “down by up to 10% in fiscal year 2015, offsetting some of the anticipated core growth from its seeds and traits businesses.”
Monsanto noted that it expects an overall shift in its full-year earnings patterns, as “structural factors” result in a smaller first quarter and a concentration of growth in the third quarter. “With macro conditions resulting in lower planted acres for key regions in both corn and cotton in the quarter, combined with a timing shift as the company moves more of its Agricultural Productivity business to branded-product sales, Monsanto expects its first quarter will be roughly half of the total earnings from the first quarter of 2014,” the company said.
For more information about Monsanto’s earnings see el lanzamiento completo.