OTTAWA (dpa-AFX) - Canadian fertilizer firm Agrium Inc.'s (AGU, AGU.TO) fourth-quarter consolidated net profit advanced to $193 million or $1.20 per share from prior year's $135 million or $0.86 per share. Net earnings from continuing operations amounted to $327 million or $2.04 per share versus $152 million or $0.97 per share last year.
The company said the recent quarter results included a $61 million or $0.30 per share charge resulting from the impairment of Agrium's investment in Hanfeng Evergreen Inc. Excluding this charge, net earnings from continuing operations would have been $374 million or $2.34 per share for the latest quarter. On average, 21 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected earnings per share of $1.99 for the quarter. Analysts' estimates typically exclude one-time items.
Sales for the quarter went up by 32% to $3.18 billion from $2.40 billion in the comparable period a year ago, while 12 analysts estimated revenues of $3.10 billion for the quarter.
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