Nutrien Ltd. on Feb. 26 confirmed that it is in talks with Australia’s Ruralco regarding a potential transaction. It said no decision has been made as to whether to proceed with the transaction, no agreement has been reached, and there can be no assurance that any transaction will result from these discussions.

OCI NV, Amsterdam, reported adjusted EBITDA of $937.5 million, falling within analyst estimates, according to Bloomberg data. The company shrank net losses to shareholders to $18.7 million for the fourth-quarter and $48.7 million for the full-year.

The Mosaic Co. on Feb. 25 announced an increase of its annual dividend target to $0.20 per share. It also reported fourth-quarter net earnings of $112 million ($0.29 per diluted share) and full-year net earnings of $470 million ($1.22 per share).

Australia’s Incitec Pivot Ltd. reported Feb. 25 that it has been advised by Queensland Rail that it expects the flooded rail line between Phosphate Hill and Townsville to reopen between late April and mid May 2019. While IPL has sought to mitigate the rail closure by road transport, it estimates the outage will give rise to aggregate lost earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of approximately A$100-$120 million.

Saudi Arabian Mining Co. (Ma’aden) has signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Indian firms, Indian Potash Ltd. (IPL) and KRIBHCO, for the supply of 5 million mt of phosphate fertilizers to the Indian market for five years, according to regional news outlets, citing the Saudi Press Agency. The deals are said to be worth a total of $2 billion.

CF Industries Holdings Inc., Deerfield, Ill., reported fourth-quarter net earnings attributable to common stockholders of $49 million ($0.21 per diluted share) on net sales of $1.13 billion, down from the year-ago $465 million ($1.98 per share) and $1.1 billion. Volumes were also down at 4.72 million mt from 5.28 million mt. However, adjusted EBITDA was up at $341 million from $260 million.

Full-year net earnings were also down at $290 million ($1.24 per share) on sales of $4.43 billion, compared to 2017’s $358 million ($1.53 per share) and $4.13 billion. Volumes were 19.3 million st down from 19.9 million st. Adjusted EBITDA was up at $1.4 million from $969 million.

“We delivered strong results in 2018, as higher global nitrogen prices and lower natural gas costs drove a 45 percent increase in adjusted EBITDA compared to 2017,” said Tony Will, CF president and CEO. “With strong nitrogen demand anticipated in North America during the first half of 2019, our in-region production and extensive transportation and distribution network position us well to build on our 2018 performance. Longer-term, our outlook remains positive: we are positioned at the low end of the global cost curve due to our access to low-cost North American natural gas, we continue to operate exceptionally well and we expect the global nitrogen supply and demand balance to continue to tighten.”

Nutrien Ltd. announced today its 2018 fourth-quarter results, with net earnings from continuing operations of $296 million on sales of $3.76 billion, up from the year-ago loss of $93 million and $3.5 billion, respectively.

“Nutrien delivered excellent operational and strategic results in 2018, and we see further opportunities for significant earnings growth and business improvement in 2019. We delivered a 32 percent increase in earnings, exceeded merger synergy targets and received $5.3 billion in net proceeds from the sale of equity investments. We remain focused on prudent capital allocation, having already returned $2.8 billion to shareholders, while investing in our global retail network and maintaining a strong balance sheet. Our results this quarter demonstrate the resilience in our earnings and cash flow, given this was one of the wettest fall seasons in the US in over 100 years. For 2019, we expect strong crop input demand in the first half of the year due to the limited application window in the fall of 2018, a recent improvement in crop prices and higher corn acres in the US,” commented Chuck Magro, Nutrien president and CEO.

Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, on Jan. 5 announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase 100 percent of the equity of Actagro, LLC (Actagro), developer, manufacturer and marketer of environmentally sustainable soil and plant health products and technologies. Nutrien said Actagro’s premier commercial portfolio includes approximately 30 specialty products that have a strong track-record of increasing crop productivity and financial returns for growers.

Actagro’s products are produced at two U.S. manufacturing facilities located in California and Arkansas, and distributed across global agricultural markets through numerous retailers and distributors, including Nutrien’s Retail business. The acquisition includes Actagro’s research and development team, as well as a near-complete, world-class research and development facility located in California that will support the continued development of soil and plant health technologies.

“The acquisition of Actagro is aligned with Nutrien’s strategy to invest in higher-margin proprietary products that provide strong value for growers. Actagro has a strong track record of developing and manufacturing high-value crop nutrition products and we see a significant opportunity to expand the business by leveraging the global reach of our Retail network and the expansion of Actagro’s strong relationships with domestic and international distributors. Nutrien will continue to use its strong balance sheet and cash flow to prudently allocate capital towards growth opportunities that create value for our customers and our shareholders,” said Chuck Magro, Nutrien president and CEO.

The purchase price is US$340 million, including approximately US$20 million in working capital, and is expected to be accretive to earnings in the first year. Nutrien expects the business to generate approximately US$55 million in run-rate EBITDA two years after close with the realization of synergies and organic growth opportunities. Closing of the transaction is subject to U.S. regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.