Expanding Retail Focus Spurs Agrium

Article Excerpt

AGRIUM INC. $60 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 134.0 million; Market cap: $8.0 billion; SI Rating: Average) has agreed to buy publicly traded UAP Holding Corp., which sells seeds and other agricultural products to North American farmers through 370 distribution and storage facilities. The $2.65 billion price is high compared to the $269 million or $2.01 a share that Agrium earned in the nine months ended September 30, 2007 (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). So to pay for the purchase, the company will issue $1.25 billion worth of new shares. Agrium feels the merger will let it cut its annual expenses by $115 million by 2010. UAP will give Agrium steadier revenue streams, and cut its reliance on bulk fertilizer sales. However, Agrium needs natural gas to make its fertilizers, so it’s still vulnerable to rising gas prices. Agrium is still a hold. hold…