AOL Money & Finance

Potash (POT): Planting profits for global growth

More

"Investing in agriculture-related companies has been one of our main themes for the past year, and we still favor it," say resource experts Roger Conrad and Yiannis Mostrous.

The co-editors of Vital Resource Investor note, "We're adding a new stock to the portfolio that should benefit from the increasingly higher global demand for fertilizer: Potash Corp. (NYSE: POT).

"Potash is the world's largest and lowest-cost publicly traded potash producer, the fastest-growing segment in the fertilizer business. Its potash reserves are sufficient for more than 100 years of production.

"The company controls about 70% of the world's excess capacity. Potash Corp is also the world's third-largest phosphate producer and fourth-largest nitrogen producer. Current phosphate reserves should last more than 50 years.

"The company's low-cost production achievement is an important asset as potash is the highest margin nutrient, and its production process has historically created higher barriers to entry for potential competitors.

"As a result, the company's pricing leadership has remained one of its big assets. Potash Corp has historically been a strong cash flow-generating company that used its cash to consolidate its position through outright acquisitions and by taking substantial stakes in other companies around the world.

"As a result, Potash Corp owns 21% of Sinofert Holdings, the biggest producer and distributor of fertilizers in China, giving it even more access in this rapidly growing market.

"It also owns 10% in Israel Chemicals--one of the global leaders in chemicals production used for the improvement of agricultural, industrial and consumer and fertilizer products.

"Potash owns 28% of the Jordan-based Arab Potash Company (APC), which develops the minerals of the Dead Sea. The company also owns 32% of Chile-based SQM, a worldwide leader in the production of specialty plant nutrition, iodine and lithium.

"Finally, Potash Corp is part owner of Canpotex--a distribution company and the world's largest exporter of potash--together with Agrium Inc. and The Mosaic Company. Potash Corp. is the new buy in our Vital Resource Investor portfolio."

Steven Halpern's TheStockAdvisors.com offers a daily look at the latest market commentary and favorite stock picks and investment ideas from the nation's leading financial newsletter advisors.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Symbol Lookup
IndexesChangePrice
DJIA+20.0310,246.97
NASDAQ-2.982,151.08
S&P 500-0.071,093.01

Last updated: November 10, 2009: 09:57 PM

BloggingStocks Exclusives

Hot Stocks

DailyFinance Headlines

Latest from BloggingBuyouts

TheFlyOnTheWall.com Headlines

BioHealth Investor Headlines

WalletPop Headlines

My Portfolios

Track your stocks here!

Find out why more people track their portfolios on AOL Money & Finance then anywhere else.

BloggingStocks Partners

More from AOL Money & Finance

WalletPop Headlines