Big merger adds risk

Article Excerpt

AGRIUM INC. $117 (Toronto symbol AGU; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 138.2 million; Market cap: $16.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.2; Dividend yield: 3.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.agrium.com) has agreed to merge with rival fertilizer firm POTASH CORP. OF SASKATCHEWAN $21 (Toronto symbol POT; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 839.4 million; Market cap: $17.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.8; Dividend yield: 2.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.potashcorp.com). The new company will have annual revenue of $20.6 billion and cash flow of $4.7 billion (all amounts except share prices and market caps in U.S. dollars). Combining storage facilities and other operations should cut $500 million in overlapping annual costs. Potash Corp. investors will receive 0.40 of a share in the combined company for each share they hold; Agrium investors will receive 2.23 shares for each of theirs. Potash Corp. shareholders will then own 52% of the firm, and Agrium investors will own 48%. The new firm will pay an annual…