Mosaic's (MOS) Earnings and Revenues Top Estimates in Q4
The Mosaic Company MOS swung to a profit of $112.3 million or 29 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2018 from a loss of $431.1 million or $1.23 per share in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted earnings of 77 cents per share for the reported quarter trounced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 57 cents.
Net sales rose roughly 20% year over year to $2,520.5 million in the quarter, mainly driven by the Vale Fertilizantes acquisition and higher sales prices. The figure also exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,348 million.
The Mosaic Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
The Mosaic Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | The Mosaic Company Quote
FY18 Results
For 2018, profits were $470 million or $1.22 per share compared with a loss of $107.2 million or 31 cents recorded in 2017. Full-year adjusted earnings were $2.12 per share, up 92% year over year.
Net sales for the year went up around 29% year over year to $9,587.3 million.
Segment Highlights
Net sales from Mosaic’s Phosphates segment were $926 million in the quarter, down from $1 billion in the prior-year quarter. Higher realized sales prices were more than offset by lower sales volumes. The segment’s gross margin increased to $151 million from $133 million in the year-ago quarter, mainly driven by higher realized sales prices and increased proportion of premium MicroEssentials sales.
Potash division’s sales rose around 19% year over year to $592 million in the quarter on the back of higher sales volumes and average sales prices. Gross margin in the quarter was $202 million, up from $114 million in the year-ago quarter. The rise was mainly driven by higher average sales prices that more than offset higher Canadian resource taxes.
Net sales in the Mosaic Fertilizantes segment were $969 million, up around 86% year over year, driven by higher realized sales prices and the Vale Fertilizantes acquisition. Gross margin increased to $118 million from $32 million in the year-ago quarter on the back of better distribution margins and the addition of the acquired production business.
Financials
Mosaic ended 2018 with cash and cash equivalents of $847.7 million, down around 61% year over year. Long-term debt fell roughly 8% year over year to around $4,491.5 million.
Cash flow from operating activities was $191 million in the reported quarter, down from $411 million a year ago, impacted by unfavorable working capital changes. Mosaic’s capital expenditures were $328 million in the quarter. Cash flow from operating activities for 2018 was $1.45 billion, up from $936 million in 2017.
Outlook
Moving ahead, Mosaic expects its strong business and financial performance to continue this year. The company expects adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.10-$2.50 per share for 2019. It also expects adjusted EBITDA for 2019 in the band of $2.2-$2.4 billion.
Mosaic expects phosphates sales volumes in the band of 1.6-1.9 million tons for the first quarter of 2019. The segment’s gross margin is forecast in the band of $40-$50 per ton.
Potash sales volumes have been forecast in the range of 1.7-2 million tons for the first quarter and gross margin is projected in the band of $90-$100 per ton.
The company also expects sales volumes in the Mosaic Fertilizantes segment in the band of 1.3-1.6 million tons for the first quarter. The company also projects gross margin for the unit in the range of $40-$50 per ton.
Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider
Mosaic currently sports a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Other top-ranked stocks worth considering in the basic materials space include Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. KL, Israel Chemicals Ltd. ICL and Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV.
Kirkland Lake Gold has an expected earnings growth rate of 20.9% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Its shares have surged around 125% in the past year. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Israel Chemicals has an expected earnings growth rate of 10.8% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2. The company’s shares have rallied around 26% over the past year.
Franco-Nevada has an expected earnings growth rate of 11.2% for the current year and carries a Zacks Rank #2. Its shares have gained roughly 3% in the past year.
Breakout Biotech Stocks with Triple-Digit Profit Potential
The biotech sector is projected to surge beyond $775 billion by 2024 as scientists develop treatments for thousands of diseases. They’re also finding ways to edit the human genome to literally erase our vulnerability to these diseases.
Zacks has just released Century of Biology: 7 Biotech Stocks to Buy Right Now to help investors profit from 7 stocks poised for outperformance. Our recent biotech recommendations have produced gains of +98%, +119% and +164% in as little as 1 month. The stocks in this report could perform even better.
See these 7 breakthrough stocks now>>
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Israel Chemicals Shs (ICL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
The Mosaic Company (MOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Franco-Nevada Corporation (FNV) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. (KL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
Zacks Investment Research
