This dividend payer still has appeal

Article Excerpt

NUTRIEN LTD. $51 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol NTR; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares o/s: 569.1 million; Market cap: $29.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 4.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.nutrien.com) is the world’s largest producer of agricultural fertilizers. It also sells seeds, fertilizer and other agricultural products through 2,000 retail stores in seven countries. In the three months ended June 30, 2020, Nutrien’s revenue fell 3.2%, to $8.42 billion from $8.69 billion a year earlier (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). That drop was mainly because lower potash prices offset higher volumes in North America during the spring planting season. Sales at its retail stores also rose 3.6%. As well, earnings fell 8.2%, to $1.45 a share from $1.58. Due to lower demand and prices for nitrogen fertilizers and ammonia, Nutrien expects to earn between $1.50 and $1.90 a share for all of 2020. That’s down slightly from its earlier forecast of $1.50 to $2.10 a..