PLYMOUTH, Minn., Jan. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mosaic
Company (NYSE: MOS) announced today that it expects reported
phosphates volume and phosphates and potash margins will exceed
previously provided guidance ranges, and that potash volumes will
be at the high end of guidance range, resulting in fourth quarter
2014 earnings per diluted share in the range of $0.93 to $0.98 per share, including approximately
$0.10 in net benefits from notable
items. The notable items include early estimates of discrete tax
benefits, primarily related to the acquisition of a Brazilian
distribution business, which may change. We expect earnings,
excluding notable items, to be in the range of $0.83 to $0.88 per share.
"Demand for potash and phosphates exceeded our expectations
during the fourth quarter," said Jim
Prokopanko, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We were
cautiously optimistic going into the fall application season with
good crop nutrient affordability and an empty supply chain, but
customers came to the market in force, as they sought to position
inventory in anticipation of a strong spring season and increasing
crop nutrient prices.
"At Mosaic, we were prepared to meet the surge in demand, and
our results for the quarter reflect the earnings power our business
can deliver in good markets. Our Phosphates business sold 3.3
million tonnes of finished product during the quarter – well above
our expectations – and our Potash business produced at a high
operating rate due to a successful proving run at the Colonsay mine.
"We expect further business strength as we move into 2015, with
strong demand for potash and phosphates continuing. We expect the
first quarter of 2015 to reflect normal seasonal spring demand,
minimally impacted by accelerated purchases in the fourth quarter
of 2014, and are excited for the opportunities we see in the coming
year."
The Company will discuss fourth quarter 2014 results in more
detail, as well as first quarter and full year guidance for 2015,
during the earnings release on February 11,
2015.
About The Mosaic Company
The Mosaic Company is one of the world's leading producers and
marketers of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients.
Mosaic is a single source provider of phosphate and potash
fertilizers and feed ingredients for the global agriculture
industry. More information on the Company is available at
www.mosaicco.com.
This document contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about
the Northern Promise Joint Venture, the acquisition and assumption
of certain related liabilities of the Florida phosphate assets of CF Industries,
Inc. ("CF") and Mosaic's ammonia supply agreements with CF;
repurchases of stock; other proposed or pending future transactions
or strategic plans and other statements about future financial and
operating results. Such statements are based upon the current
beliefs and expectations of The Mosaic Company's management and are
subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These risks and
uncertainties include but are not limited to risks and
uncertainties arising from the ability of the Northern Promise
Joint Venture to obtain additional planned funding in acceptable
amounts and upon acceptable terms, the future success of current
plans for the Northern Promise Joint Venture and any future changes
in those plans; difficulties with realization of the benefits of
the transactions with CF, including the risks that the acquired
assets may not be integrated successfully or that the cost or
capital savings from the transactions may not be fully realized or
may take longer to realize than expected, or the price of natural
gas or ammonia changes to a level at which the natural gas based
pricing under one of the long term ammonia supply agreements with
CF becomes disadvantageous to Mosaic; customer defaults; the
effects of Mosaic's decisions to exit business operations or
locations; the predictability and volatility of, and customer
expectations about, agriculture, fertilizer, raw material, energy
and transportation markets that are subject to competitive and
other pressures and economic and credit market conditions; the
level of inventories in the distribution channels for crop
nutrients; changes in foreign currency and exchange rates;
international trade risks and other risks associated with Mosaic's
international operations and those of joint ventures in which
Mosaic participates, including the risk that protests against
natural resource companies in Peru
extend to or impact the Miski Mayo mine; changes in government
policy; changes in environmental and other governmental regulation,
including greenhouse gas regulation, implementation of numeric
water quality standards for the discharge of nutrients into
Florida waterways or efforts to
reduce the flow of excess nutrients into the Mississippi River
basin, the Gulf of Mexico or
elsewhere; further developments in judicial or administrative
proceedings, or complaints that Mosaic's operations are adversely
impacting nearby farms, business operations or properties;
difficulties or delays in receiving, increased costs of or
challenges to necessary governmental permits or approvals or
increased financial assurance requirements; resolution of global
tax audit activity; the effectiveness of Mosaic's processes for
managing its strategic priorities; adverse weather conditions
affecting operations in Central
Florida, the Mississippi River basin, the Gulf Coast of
the United States or Canada, and including potential hurricanes,
excess heat, cold, snow, rainfall or drought; actual costs of
various items differing from management's current estimates,
including, among others, asset retirement, environmental
remediation, reclamation or other environmental regulation,
Canadian resources taxes and royalties, the liabilities Mosaic
assumed in the Florida phosphate
assets acquisition, or the costs of the Northern Promise Joint
Venture, its existing or future funding and Mosaic's commitments in
support of such funding; reduction of Mosaic's available cash and
liquidity, and increased leverage, due to its use of cash and/or
available debt capacity to fund share repurchases, financial
assurance requirements and strategic investments; brine inflows at
Mosaic's Esterhazy, Saskatchewan,
potash mine or other potash shaft mines; other accidents and
disruptions involving Mosaic's operations, including potential mine
fires, floods, explosions, seismic events or releases of hazardous
or volatile chemicals, as well as other risks and uncertainties
reported from time to time in The Mosaic Company's reports filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may
differ from those set forth in the forward-looking
statements.
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20060331/MOSAICLOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-mosaic-company-raises-2014-guidance-300022456.html
SOURCE The Mosaic Company