Author: train2invest Admins

Nutrien Ltd. NTR-T +0.86%increase is indefinitely suspending plans to ramp up its potash production, cutting its capital expenditure and reducing its profit forecast yet again, as a prolonged slump in the global fertilizer market takes its toll on the Canadian giant.

Saskatoon-based Nutrien announced late Wednesday that it is reducing its 2023 adjusted net earnings per share guidance to roughly US$4.72 a share, compared with around US$6.50 a share in May – a figure that had already been revised downward from February.

The fertilizer company had already warned last month that its profit forecast would likely be soon pared back, after it was forced to cut production at one of its mines owing to the inability to export potash out of the port of Vancouver amid the strike by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.

Nutrien’s exports were curtailed in the second quarter by continuing problems at a terminal in Portland, Ore. That facility was knocked out of potash service after a structural failure with its conveyor system in May.

Formed in 2018 after the merger of Agrium Inc. with PotashCorp of Saskatchewan, Nutrien is one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, producing potash, nitrogen and phosphate. The company is also a major agricultural retailer in the United States and Canada, selling fertilizers, seeds and pesticides.

Although there were fears over a possible global shortage of potash after sanctions were imposed on major producers Belarus and Russia in 2021 and 2022, the market instead has been weak. That’s in large part because both countries have been able to find alternative routes to subvert the sanctions, and find buyers in markets such as China.

Nutrien chief executive officer Ken Seitzin a statement referenced the “unprecedented volatility” the company has been grappling with in the global crop input market over the past 18 months.

A few months after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Nutrien announced it was boosting a plan to increase its potash production to 18 million tonnes by 2025, which was a little more than 20-per-cent higher than its volumes at the time.

Nutrien on Wednesday said it was indefinitely pausing the plan for the big ramp up.

The price of potash has drifted down to approximately US$328 a tonne, compared with a peak of US$1,200 reached in April, 2022.

Nutrien’s Toronto Stock Exchange-listed shares have fallen by 15 per cent over the past year.

The company’s adjusted earnings per share in the second quarter came in at US$2.53 a share, far weaker than the Refinitiv estimate of US$2.77 a share.

Nutrien also said it is suspending work on a new ammonia plant it had planned to build in Geismar, La. in part because of higher than expected capital costs.

The big Canadian fertilizer company competes with Tampa-based The Mosaic Company MOC-CN unchno changeand Genmany’s K&S AG in its home province of Saskatchewan, and in a few years will go head-to-head with Anglo-Australian mining giant BHP Group Inc BHPLF -0.64%decrease, which is building a massive new potash mine called Jansen.

George Weston Ltd. WN-T +0.37%increase says its latest quarter delivered a profit attributable to common shareholders of $498-million.

The company, which holds large stakes in Loblaw Cos. Ltd. L-T +0.51%increase and Choice Properties Real Estate Investment Trust, says the second-quarter profit was almost 22 per cent lower than the earnings it reported a year earlier.

The company says the decrease was primarily driven by unfavourable liabilities linked to Choice Properties.

George Weston says its adjusted net earnings available to common shareholders totalled $377-million for the period ended June 30, up from $328-million a year before.

On an adjusted basis, George Weston says it earned $2.68 a diluted share, up from an adjusted profit of $2.23 a diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue for the quarter totalled $13.88-billion, up from $12.97-billion in the same quarter last year.

George Weston says its results were buoyed by increased sales at Loblaw and Choice Properties’ plans to open 1.6 million square feet of industrial space and two residential projects this year.

Spin Master Corp. says it earned US$28 million in the second quarter, down from US$88.1 million a year earlier.

The Toronto-based toy and entertainment company says revenue was US$420.7 million, down from US$506.3 million during the same quarter last year.

Earnings per diluted share were 26 cents, down from 83 cents.

Toy revenue for the company was US$346.3 million, down from US$437.6 million last year.

Sales for toy products declined due to lower order volume, as Spin Master says customers reduced retail inventory levels.

Chief financial officer Mark Segal said while the company’s results were challenged compared with last year, it’s maintaining its 2023 outlook.

Gildan Activewear Inc. (GIL) on Thursday reported second-quarter profit of $155.3 million.

On a per-share basis, the Montreal-based company said it had net income of 87 cents. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, were 63 cents per share.

The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 61 cents per share.

The apparel maker posted revenue of $840.4 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts. Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $822 million.

Canadian Natural Resources Limited (TSX: CNQ) (NYSE: CNQ) announces that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common shares of C$0.90 (ninety cents) per common share. The dividend will be payable on October 5, 2023 to shareholders of record at the close of business on September 15, 2023.

Canadian Natural’s growing and sustainable dividend demonstrates the confidence that the Board of Directors has in the sustainability of our business model, the strength of our balance sheet and the Company’s long life low decline asset base. The previously announced increase in March 2023 represents the continuation of the Company’s leading track record of 23 consecutive years of dividend increases, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 21‍% over that period of time.

Canadian Natural is a senior oil and natural gas production company, with continuing operations in its core areas located in Western Canada, the U.K. portion of the North Sea and Offshore Africa.

BCE Inc. says its net earnings tumbled almost 40 per cent in its most recent quarter as it began laying off 1,300 workers.

The Montreal-based telecommunications company’s net earnings for the second quarter amounted to $397 million or 37 cents per common share compared with $654 million or 66 cents per common share a year ago.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 77 cents per share for the period ended June 30, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

Adjusted net earnings totalled $722 million compared with $791 million a year prior.

Operating revenue ticked up to $6.06 billion from $5.86 billion a year earlier.

Bell attributed its increased costs to severance expenses, a higher interest rate environment and an obligation it had to repurchase at fair value the minority interest in one of its joint venture equity investments.

 Air cargo company Cargojet Inc. reported a first-quarter profit of $30.5 million as its revenue edged lower to start the year.

Cargojet chief executive Ajay Virmani says the company is not immune to softening industry trends as well as the macro factors of slower economic growth, higher interest rates and persistent inflation.

The company says its profit amounted to $1.67 per diluted share for the quarter ended March 31 compared with a loss of $56.4 million or $3.26 per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue totalled $231.9 million, down from $233.6 million in the first three months of 2022.

On an adjusted basis, Cargojet says it earned 97 cents per share in its latest quarter, down from an adjusted profit of $1.56 per share a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of $1.03 per share and $236.4 million in revenue, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan (AP) — Cameco Corp. (CCJ) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $10.4 million.

The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-based company said it had profit of 2 cents per share. Losses, adjusted for non-recurring gains, came to 1 cent per share.

The uranium producer posted revenue of $358.9 million in the period.

Cameco shares have risen 52% since the beginning of the year. The stock has increased 39% in the last 12 months.

IGM HIGHLIGHTS

• Net earnings of $138.2 million or 58 cents per share compared to $207.1 million or 87 cents per share in 2022. Adjusted net earnings, excluding other items,¹ were $205.5 million or 86 cents per share for the second quarter of 2023 compared to $207.1 million or 87 cents per share in 2022.
• Assets under management and advisement of $261.1 billion, up slightly from the prior quarter and up 7.9% from the second quarter of 2022. 
• IGM Financial’s assets under management and advisement including Strategic Investments were $402.8 billion as at June 30, 2023, compared with $376.5 billion at March 31, 2023 and $305.0 billion at June 30, 2022. This is a new measure and reflects the importance of these high growth investments and their contribution to IGM’s value.
• Net outflows were $821 million compared to net outflows of $527 million in 2022. 

https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/igm-financial-reports-second-quarter-earnings-815235186.html

Thomson Reuters Corp. says it earned a second-quarter profit of US$894 million as its revenue rose two per cent compared with a year ago.

The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says the profit amounted to US$1.90 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30, reversing a loss of US$115 million, or 24 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.

Revenue totalled nearly US$1.65 billion, up from US$1.61 billion in the same three-month period of 2022, as the company sold 15.5 million shares of the London Stock Exchange Group for US$1.6 billion in the second quarter.

On an adjusted basis, Thomson Reuters says it earned 84 cents per share, up from an adjusted profit of 60 cents per share a year earlier.

Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of 78 cents per share, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.

The company maintained its outlook for 2023 from the first quarter, which includes expected total revenue growth between 3.0 and 3.5 per cent.