14 hours ago
Updated on: September 17, 2026 / 11:45 PM EDT / CBS News
Matt Bell, 52, has been farming for more than half his life in central North Carolina. He grows soybeans, corn and wheat and raises beef cattle on more than 1,000 acres. But Bell, who voted for President Trump, says soaring prices for fuel, fertilizer, and equipment are hurting his farm and leading some of his fellow farmers to consider calling it quits once this growing season ends.
"I've done this 34 years. I have never worried and stressed like I have the last year," Bell told CBS News in an interview on Wednesday at his farm in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
Bell has been forced to make significant changes to his operation as a result of the high costs. He's shifting some of his acreage, trying to stretch out the lifespan of his equipment and producing his own fertilizer. His children have also opened up a storefront where visitors can pick pumpkins and take hayrides in the fall. But Bell is still feeling the pinch.
"We've cut everything we can cut," he said. "The last several years in agriculture have been terrible, and we have, you know, just cut the fat anywhere we could. But we're just getting to the point now there's nothing left to cut. You cannot run without fuel. You cannot run without fertilizer. You have to have that."
#bell #fertilizer #fuel #years
Matt Bell, 52, has been farming for more than half his life in central North Carolina. He grows soybeans, corn and wheat and raises beef cattle on more than 1,000 acres. But Bell, who voted for President Trump, says soaring prices for fuel, fertilizer, and equipment are hurting his farm and leading some of his fellow farmers to consider calling it quits once this growing season ends.
"I've done this 34 years. I have never worried and stressed like I have the last year," Bell told CBS News in an interview on Wednesday at his farm in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
Bell has been forced to make significant changes to his operation as a result of the high costs. He's shifting some of his acreage, trying to stretch out the lifespan of his equipment and producing his own fertilizer. His children have also opened up a storefront where visitors can pick pumpkins and take hayrides in the fall. But Bell is still feeling the pinch.
"We've cut everything we can cut," he said. "The last several years in agriculture have been terrible, and we have, you know, just cut the fat anywhere we could. But we're just getting to the point now there's nothing left to cut. You cannot run without fuel. You cannot run without fertilizer. You have to have that."
#bell #fertilizer #fuel #years
16 days ago
On August 5, Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ:CENT) reported fiscal 2026 third-quarter results for the period ended June 27, and the numbers pull in two directions at once. Net sales fell 8% to $882 million, yet the company raised its full-year profit outlook, a combination that says more about where the business is heading than the headline sales figure does.
The most important number in this report is not on the top line. Gross margin expanded 130 basis points to 35.9%, and non-GAAP operating margin climbed 90 basis points to 15.4%, even as revenue shrank. That is largely because Central exited its pet distribution business earlier in the year, a lower-margin operation whose absence flattered every profitability metric that followed. Strip that exit out and organic net sales, which account for the divested business, actually rose 2% to $862 million.
The Garden segment did the real work here, with sales up 3% to $482 million on strength in wild bird feed, fertilizer and controls, and grass seed, pushing segment operating margin up 100 basis points to 18.7%. On the back of this performance, management raised its fiscal 2026 non-GAAP diluted EPS outlook from $2.70 or better to $2.85 or better, a meaningful upgrade delivered with one quarter still to report.
Central also announced a definitive agreement to acquire an 80% interest in TRIXIE, a European pet supplies and pet snacks company serving more than 30,000 retail stores, for up to €400 million including earn-outs. The deal would push international sales to roughly 10% of the total and give Central a foothold in a fragmented European pet specialty market, though it is not expected to close until the first half of fiscal 2027.
The margin expansion cannot fully mask what happened at the bottom of the income statement. GAAP diluted EPS fell to $1.45 from $1.52, and non-GAAP EPS slipped to $1.54 from $1.56, both declines even as the company was calling the quarter a success. Net income dropped 5% to $90 million. The Pet segment remains the bigger question mark: reported net sales there fell 19% to $400 million, and while organic Pet sales rose 2% to $380 million, the gap between reported and organic figures shows how much of the segment's recent shape has been dictated by portfolio changes rather than underlying demand.
#gaap #Margin #reported #company
The most important number in this report is not on the top line. Gross margin expanded 130 basis points to 35.9%, and non-GAAP operating margin climbed 90 basis points to 15.4%, even as revenue shrank. That is largely because Central exited its pet distribution business earlier in the year, a lower-margin operation whose absence flattered every profitability metric that followed. Strip that exit out and organic net sales, which account for the divested business, actually rose 2% to $862 million.
The Garden segment did the real work here, with sales up 3% to $482 million on strength in wild bird feed, fertilizer and controls, and grass seed, pushing segment operating margin up 100 basis points to 18.7%. On the back of this performance, management raised its fiscal 2026 non-GAAP diluted EPS outlook from $2.70 or better to $2.85 or better, a meaningful upgrade delivered with one quarter still to report.
Central also announced a definitive agreement to acquire an 80% interest in TRIXIE, a European pet supplies and pet snacks company serving more than 30,000 retail stores, for up to €400 million including earn-outs. The deal would push international sales to roughly 10% of the total and give Central a foothold in a fragmented European pet specialty market, though it is not expected to close until the first half of fiscal 2027.
The margin expansion cannot fully mask what happened at the bottom of the income statement. GAAP diluted EPS fell to $1.45 from $1.52, and non-GAAP EPS slipped to $1.54 from $1.56, both declines even as the company was calling the quarter a success. Net income dropped 5% to $90 million. The Pet segment remains the bigger question mark: reported net sales there fell 19% to $400 million, and while organic Pet sales rose 2% to $380 million, the gap between reported and organic figures shows how much of the segment's recent shape has been dictated by portfolio changes rather than underlying demand.
#gaap #Margin #reported #company
16 days ago
On August 3, The Andersons Inc. (NASDAQ:ANDE) reported second-quarter results that dwarfed last year's numbers, with net income attributable to the company climbing to $57 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, from just $7.9 million, or $0.23 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted net income reached $74 million, or $2.15 per share, versus $8.4 million, or $0.24 per share, in the second quarter of 2025. The turnaround leaned almost entirely on one business: renewable fuels.
Renewables did the heavy lifting. The segment posted a record second-quarter pretax income of $65 million, with the adjusted figure reaching $88 million, on record plant output and strong merchandising execution. Andersons credited its low-carbon strategy for $24 million in 45Z producer tax credits during the quarter, plus the first-quarter finalization of the Renewable Volume Obligations, which firmed up commodity markets and opened trading opportunities for the merchandising desk. Gains in distillers corn oil and RIN pricing also helped. Segment adjusted EBITDA came in at $103 million, more than triple the $30 million posted a year earlier.
Agribusiness improved too, if more modestly, with pretax income of $20 million, both on a GAAP and adjusted basis, up from $17 million in the prior-year quarter. Fertilizer margins strengthened even as volumes fell, and merchandising benefited from higher commodity prices and early-quarter volatility. The company is pushing further into low-carbon fuels, preparing a debottlenecking project at its Clymers, Indiana ethanol plant and advancing a Class VI well permit to capture more 45Z value. A new soybean meal export operation at the Port of Houston is expected online in the fourth quarter. Operating cash flow of $488 million for the quarter, up from $299 million a year earlier, gave the company room to keep funding those projects while holding long-term debt to EBITDA below its 2.5-times target.
The numbers come with caveats. Cash and cash equivalents stood at just $66.5 million at the end of the second quarter, down from $351 million a year earlier, even as short-term debt climbed to $314 million from $104 million. Much of that swing traces to working capital timing and investment spending rather than distress, but it leaves less cushion than the company carried a year ago.
In Agribusiness, the fertilizer and merchandising gains were partly offset by fuel surcharges, a reminder that the segment's profitability still moves with input costs it does not control. Andersons also warned that a drier stretch across its western growing regions could weigh on grain-asset profits this fall, even though better conditions in the eastern corn belt cut the other way, and that grower economics could limit fertilizer purchasing heading into the fall application season.
#million #year #income #Share
Renewables did the heavy lifting. The segment posted a record second-quarter pretax income of $65 million, with the adjusted figure reaching $88 million, on record plant output and strong merchandising execution. Andersons credited its low-carbon strategy for $24 million in 45Z producer tax credits during the quarter, plus the first-quarter finalization of the Renewable Volume Obligations, which firmed up commodity markets and opened trading opportunities for the merchandising desk. Gains in distillers corn oil and RIN pricing also helped. Segment adjusted EBITDA came in at $103 million, more than triple the $30 million posted a year earlier.
Agribusiness improved too, if more modestly, with pretax income of $20 million, both on a GAAP and adjusted basis, up from $17 million in the prior-year quarter. Fertilizer margins strengthened even as volumes fell, and merchandising benefited from higher commodity prices and early-quarter volatility. The company is pushing further into low-carbon fuels, preparing a debottlenecking project at its Clymers, Indiana ethanol plant and advancing a Class VI well permit to capture more 45Z value. A new soybean meal export operation at the Port of Houston is expected online in the fourth quarter. Operating cash flow of $488 million for the quarter, up from $299 million a year earlier, gave the company room to keep funding those projects while holding long-term debt to EBITDA below its 2.5-times target.
The numbers come with caveats. Cash and cash equivalents stood at just $66.5 million at the end of the second quarter, down from $351 million a year earlier, even as short-term debt climbed to $314 million from $104 million. Much of that swing traces to working capital timing and investment spending rather than distress, but it leaves less cushion than the company carried a year ago.
In Agribusiness, the fertilizer and merchandising gains were partly offset by fuel surcharges, a reminder that the segment's profitability still moves with input costs it does not control. Andersons also warned that a drier stretch across its western growing regions could weigh on grain-asset profits this fall, even though better conditions in the eastern corn belt cut the other way, and that grower economics could limit fertilizer purchasing heading into the fall application season.
#million #year #income #Share
17 days ago
Listen and subscribe to Power Players with Brian Sozzi on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
With roots dating back to 1868, Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) faces a future that hinges on getting a nonchalant Gen Z crowd to pay to fertilize their lawns, just like their proud green-lawn-owning parents.
New CEO Nate Baxter realizes the hill to climb is steep and chock-full of roadblocks, such as more people buying Astroturf for lawns or putting stones where grass once lived — and needing water to do so.
"So our core consumer that has been with us for decades. They're homeowners or renters who care about their lawn. They are dedicated. And they care about weeds — they don't want them. They want the perfect lawn story," Baxter said in a new episode of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast (watch above; listen in below). "What we are seeing with the next generation of consumer is a real interest in going natural. They don't mind an occasional dandelion in their lawn."
Baxter said Scotts has released new fertilizer in recyclable paper bags and all-natural lawn food to cater to this finicky crowd. He promises a push into products that could help people connect with the health of their lawn's soil.
#players #scotts #listen #crowd
With roots dating back to 1868, Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) faces a future that hinges on getting a nonchalant Gen Z crowd to pay to fertilize their lawns, just like their proud green-lawn-owning parents.
New CEO Nate Baxter realizes the hill to climb is steep and chock-full of roadblocks, such as more people buying Astroturf for lawns or putting stones where grass once lived — and needing water to do so.
"So our core consumer that has been with us for decades. They're homeowners or renters who care about their lawn. They are dedicated. And they care about weeds — they don't want them. They want the perfect lawn story," Baxter said in a new episode of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast (watch above; listen in below). "What we are seeing with the next generation of consumer is a real interest in going natural. They don't mind an occasional dandelion in their lawn."
Baxter said Scotts has released new fertilizer in recyclable paper bags and all-natural lawn food to cater to this finicky crowd. He promises a push into products that could help people connect with the health of their lawn's soil.
#players #scotts #listen #crowd
19 days ago
Listen and subscribe to Power Players with Brian Sozzi on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
With roots dating back to 1868, Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) faces a future that hinges on getting a nonchalant Gen Z crowd to pay to fertilize their lawns, just like their proud green-lawn-owning parents.
New CEO Nate Baxter realizes the hill to climb is steep and chock-full of roadblocks, such as more people buying Astroturf for lawns or putting stones where grass once lived — and needing water to do so.
"So our core consumer that has been with us for decades. They're homeowners or renters who care about their lawn. They are dedicated. And they care about weeds — they don't want them. They want the perfect lawn story," Baxter said in a new episode of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast (watch above; listen in below). "What we are seeing with the next generation of consumer is a real interest in going natural. They don't mind an occasional dandelion in their lawn."
Baxter said Scotts has released new fertilizer in recyclable paper bags and all-natural lawn food to cater to this finicky crowd. He promises a push into products that could help people connect with the health of their lawn's soil.
#crowd
With roots dating back to 1868, Scotts Miracle-Gro (SMG) faces a future that hinges on getting a nonchalant Gen Z crowd to pay to fertilize their lawns, just like their proud green-lawn-owning parents.
New CEO Nate Baxter realizes the hill to climb is steep and chock-full of roadblocks, such as more people buying Astroturf for lawns or putting stones where grass once lived — and needing water to do so.
"So our core consumer that has been with us for decades. They're homeowners or renters who care about their lawn. They are dedicated. And they care about weeds — they don't want them. They want the perfect lawn story," Baxter said in a new episode of the Power Players with Brian Sozzi podcast (watch above; listen in below). "What we are seeing with the next generation of consumer is a real interest in going natural. They don't mind an occasional dandelion in their lawn."
Baxter said Scotts has released new fertilizer in recyclable paper bags and all-natural lawn food to cater to this finicky crowd. He promises a push into products that could help people connect with the health of their lawn's soil.
#crowd
1 month ago
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A JPMorgan warning is racing across social media (1): Fertilizer shortages could trigger a total global food supply crisis in 2027.
However, the threat may take months to reach grocery stores. Farmers facing scarce or expensive fertilizer can absorb the cost, use less of it or switch crops. Each choice would reduce supply or raise food prices after the next harvest.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
#Food #supply #moneywise #however
A JPMorgan warning is racing across social media (1): Fertilizer shortages could trigger a total global food supply crisis in 2027.
However, the threat may take months to reach grocery stores. Farmers facing scarce or expensive fertilizer can absorb the cost, use less of it or switch crops. Each choice would reduce supply or raise food prices after the next harvest.
Jeff Bezos backs a platform that lets anyone invest in rental homes for as little as $100 — 6 ways to build wealth like a landlord without actually being one
JPMorgan sees gold hitting $5,000/oz by Q4 — and savvy investors are protecting their wealth with a tax-advantaged Gold IRA. Get your free guide from Priority Gold
#Food #supply #moneywise #however
1 month ago
On August 7, AdvanSix (NYSE:ASIX) reported second-quarter sales of $421 million, up about 3% from a year earlier, while adjusted EBITDA fell $24 million to $32 million and adjusted EPS dropped $1.50 to $0.19. Behind those numbers sits a story of two forces pulling in opposite directions: a $72 million year-over-year jump in raw material costs, and a fertilizer season where farmers spent less than the company expected. What stands out is how completely AdvanSix priced its way through the cost spike, even as volume told a rougher story.
The quarter's 3% sales growth broke down into 18% favorable pricing against a 15% volume decline. Raw material pass-through pricing rose 13% as benzene and propylene costs climbed, while market-based pricing improved 5%, largely on higher plant nutrient pricing tied to sulfur input costs. That combination fully offset the $72 million raw material headwind for the quarter, and the swing looked even sharper sequentially: a $10 million net price/cost headwind in the first quarter flipped into a $39 million tailwind in the second. AdvanSix also closed out the full fertilizer year near a record for domestic granular ammonium sulfate volume, supported by progress toward a 75% ammonium sulfate granular conversion mix, with its sustained growth program generating returns above 30%.
Looking ahead, the company plans to grow ammonia sales volume 30% in 2026 against 2025's already record year, and it is applying for a USDA grant to expand ammonia capacity further. Management also pointed to a stronger cash flow picture in the back half of 2026, citing a lower capital spending run rate, working capital tailwinds from the fourth quarter fertilizer pre-buy program, and 45Q carbon capture tax credits.
The same quarter that showed pricing discipline also showed real demand strain. Plant nutrient volume came in below expectations as rising grower input costs met steady, lower crop and grain prices, squeezing farmer profitability enough to cut overall fertilizer consumption and drive a $17 million unfavorable volume impact. A planned ammonia plant turnaround, shifted into the quarter to align with a supplier's pipeline inspection, added another $4 million operational hit. Sulfur costs have been a bigger problem still. The Tampa sulfur marker closed at a record $705 per long ton in the third quarter, up from $655 in the second, and AdvanSix estimates every $100 per long ton move costs it roughly $35 million a year.
#quarter #year #pricing #sulfur
The quarter's 3% sales growth broke down into 18% favorable pricing against a 15% volume decline. Raw material pass-through pricing rose 13% as benzene and propylene costs climbed, while market-based pricing improved 5%, largely on higher plant nutrient pricing tied to sulfur input costs. That combination fully offset the $72 million raw material headwind for the quarter, and the swing looked even sharper sequentially: a $10 million net price/cost headwind in the first quarter flipped into a $39 million tailwind in the second. AdvanSix also closed out the full fertilizer year near a record for domestic granular ammonium sulfate volume, supported by progress toward a 75% ammonium sulfate granular conversion mix, with its sustained growth program generating returns above 30%.
Looking ahead, the company plans to grow ammonia sales volume 30% in 2026 against 2025's already record year, and it is applying for a USDA grant to expand ammonia capacity further. Management also pointed to a stronger cash flow picture in the back half of 2026, citing a lower capital spending run rate, working capital tailwinds from the fourth quarter fertilizer pre-buy program, and 45Q carbon capture tax credits.
The same quarter that showed pricing discipline also showed real demand strain. Plant nutrient volume came in below expectations as rising grower input costs met steady, lower crop and grain prices, squeezing farmer profitability enough to cut overall fertilizer consumption and drive a $17 million unfavorable volume impact. A planned ammonia plant turnaround, shifted into the quarter to align with a supplier's pipeline inspection, added another $4 million operational hit. Sulfur costs have been a bigger problem still. The Tampa sulfur marker closed at a record $705 per long ton in the third quarter, up from $655 in the second, and AdvanSix estimates every $100 per long ton move costs it roughly $35 million a year.
#quarter #year #pricing #sulfur
1 month ago
CF Industries (NYSE:CF) just posted a first half of 2026 that most fertilizer companies would frame around one thing: the conflict with Iran. Instead, management spent the earnings call on August 6 arguing that something bigger is happening underneath the headlines. Adjusted EBITDA hit $2.2 billion for the first half, ammonia plants ran at nearly 98% of available capacity, and the company raised its own estimate of what it can earn in a normal year. Investors chasing the geopolitical story may be missing the real one.
Management's central argument is that global nitrogen capacity has gotten permanently more expensive to build, which raises the price required to justify new plants and therefore lifts what CF Industries can earn even in ordinary years. That case leans on Blue Point, where the company has now received every permit needed to start construction, ordered nearly all its long lead items, and expects module fabrication to begin later this year. Combined with the planned return of the Yazoo City Complex in the first half of 2027, those projects support management's target of roughly $3.3 billion in mid-cycle EBITDA by 2030, up from a new $2.9 billion baseline, and neither figure includes any ****** p from the current conflict.
The quarter's numbers back up the operational side of that story. Second quarter net earnings reached $727 million, or $4.73 per diluted share, while trailing 12-month free cash flow came in around $1.8 billion. CF Industries has funneled much of that into buybacks, repurchasing 10.6 million shares for $958 million over the past year, and the board raised the quarterly dividend 20% to $0.60 per share in July. Shares outstanding have fallen 29% since the start of 2021 while the dividend has doubled, a combination management says has lifted investor ownership of the underlying business by more than 40% since 2020.
Management spent real time on the call pushing back on the idea that CF Industries' growth is mostly a geopolitical trade, which suggests that's exactly how a lot of investors are currently pricing the stock. Demand data from the quarter gives that read some support. Customers in regions with second-half application seasons deferred purchases as prices rose, and North American buyers slowed down enough in June that channel inventories fell to a very low point.
That weakness only reversed once thin inventories forced a rush into July's UAN and ammonia fill programs. Meanwhile, capital spending is about to climb as Blue Point construction ramps up, with CF Industries' share of 2026 capex projected at $950 million out of a company total of $1.3 billion, a bill that has to be paid before any of the 2030 targets show up in earnings.
#million #first #year
Management's central argument is that global nitrogen capacity has gotten permanently more expensive to build, which raises the price required to justify new plants and therefore lifts what CF Industries can earn even in ordinary years. That case leans on Blue Point, where the company has now received every permit needed to start construction, ordered nearly all its long lead items, and expects module fabrication to begin later this year. Combined with the planned return of the Yazoo City Complex in the first half of 2027, those projects support management's target of roughly $3.3 billion in mid-cycle EBITDA by 2030, up from a new $2.9 billion baseline, and neither figure includes any ****** p from the current conflict.
The quarter's numbers back up the operational side of that story. Second quarter net earnings reached $727 million, or $4.73 per diluted share, while trailing 12-month free cash flow came in around $1.8 billion. CF Industries has funneled much of that into buybacks, repurchasing 10.6 million shares for $958 million over the past year, and the board raised the quarterly dividend 20% to $0.60 per share in July. Shares outstanding have fallen 29% since the start of 2021 while the dividend has doubled, a combination management says has lifted investor ownership of the underlying business by more than 40% since 2020.
Management spent real time on the call pushing back on the idea that CF Industries' growth is mostly a geopolitical trade, which suggests that's exactly how a lot of investors are currently pricing the stock. Demand data from the quarter gives that read some support. Customers in regions with second-half application seasons deferred purchases as prices rose, and North American buyers slowed down enough in June that channel inventories fell to a very low point.
That weakness only reversed once thin inventories forced a rush into July's UAN and ammonia fill programs. Meanwhile, capital spending is about to climb as Blue Point construction ramps up, with CF Industries' share of 2026 capex projected at $950 million out of a company total of $1.3 billion, a bill that has to be paid before any of the 2030 targets show up in earnings.
#million #first #year
1 month ago
With a market cap of $6.9 billion, The Mosaic Company (MOS) is a leading global producer and marketer of potash and phosphate fertilizers, which are essential inputs for agriculture. With 13,000 employees serving customers in more than 40 countries, Mosaic is also advancing biological solutions through Mosaic Biosciences to improve nutrient efficiency, crop performance, and sustainable food production.
Shares of the Tampa, Florida-based company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. MOS stock has decreased 38.3% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 21.8%. Moreover, shares of the company have declined 9.5% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's 11% return.
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#Florida
Shares of the Tampa, Florida-based company have underperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. MOS stock has decreased 38.3% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 21.8%. Moreover, shares of the company have declined 9.5% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's 11% return.
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#Florida
2 months ago
With the number of drones and missiles flying toward energy infrastructure in the Gulf these days, it might seem like a strange time to pour capital into that sector, in that region. But a gold rush is shaping up to profit from new workarounds to the Strait of Hormuz.
A group of US and Saudi investors said Wednesday they're closing in on a site for a $5 billion oil refining complex. It will be somewhere in the Gulf region, but outside the Strait, the project's organizers told me. With the aim to process up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil daily, it would be smaller than the major Gulf refineries. But the idea is to set up a port-connected "energy corridor" for producing and exporting not just staples like gasoline but also plastics, fertilizers, and just about anything else one can squeeze out of a hydrocarbon.
The idea was born before the war broke out, Mark Gunderson, a Texas oil developer whose MWG Enterprises is a partner in the project, told me. But now its logic is especially clear: Given the security and infrastructure limits on how much crude can flow out of the region, turning the oil into something else first can make it accessible to a broader range of traders and export vessels. "What can you do to make the oil move faster?" he said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be different or bigger pipes. It has to be technical solutions, and products that flow easier."
The project, whose other backers include the Patel Family Office and Saudi's AHQ Group, is part of a larger tide of capital flowing into Gulf oil infrastructure. Chevron is doubling down in Iraq. The UAE is building new pipelines and ports. On Monday, private equity giants Brookfield, Blackstone, and KKR signed a $16 billion lease on Kuwait's national pipeline network. "Security risks may be encouraging investment in more resilient infrastructure, rather than deterring it," said Salih Yilmaz, senior oil ******* yst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
The refinery project has plenty of hurdles ahead. But as refinery construction stalls out in the US and Europe, and a wider variety of crudes from Africa and elsewhere flow the Gulf, now is a good time to take the risk, Lakshmi Narayanan, Patel's vice-chair, told me: "Pre-conflict and post-conflict, Gulf countries have always been open [for energy investment], but now the market's sentiments are different."
#gulf #infrastructure #strait
A group of US and Saudi investors said Wednesday they're closing in on a site for a $5 billion oil refining complex. It will be somewhere in the Gulf region, but outside the Strait, the project's organizers told me. With the aim to process up to 200,000 barrels of crude oil daily, it would be smaller than the major Gulf refineries. But the idea is to set up a port-connected "energy corridor" for producing and exporting not just staples like gasoline but also plastics, fertilizers, and just about anything else one can squeeze out of a hydrocarbon.
The idea was born before the war broke out, Mark Gunderson, a Texas oil developer whose MWG Enterprises is a partner in the project, told me. But now its logic is especially clear: Given the security and infrastructure limits on how much crude can flow out of the region, turning the oil into something else first can make it accessible to a broader range of traders and export vessels. "What can you do to make the oil move faster?" he said. "It doesn't necessarily have to be different or bigger pipes. It has to be technical solutions, and products that flow easier."
The project, whose other backers include the Patel Family Office and Saudi's AHQ Group, is part of a larger tide of capital flowing into Gulf oil infrastructure. Chevron is doubling down in Iraq. The UAE is building new pipelines and ports. On Monday, private equity giants Brookfield, Blackstone, and KKR signed a $16 billion lease on Kuwait's national pipeline network. "Security risks may be encouraging investment in more resilient infrastructure, rather than deterring it," said Salih Yilmaz, senior oil ******* yst at Bloomberg Intelligence.
The refinery project has plenty of hurdles ahead. But as refinery construction stalls out in the US and Europe, and a wider variety of crudes from Africa and elsewhere flow the Gulf, now is a good time to take the risk, Lakshmi Narayanan, Patel's vice-chair, told me: "Pre-conflict and post-conflict, Gulf countries have always been open [for energy investment], but now the market's sentiments are different."
#gulf #infrastructure #strait
2 months ago
Replenish Nutrients CEO Neil Wiens joined Steve Darling from Proactive to discuss a strategic investment agreement with SRC Agrominerals that will provide $7.5 million in growth capital while supporting the expansion of the company's production facilities in Beiseker, Alberta.
Under the agreement, SRC Agrominerals will acquire an initial 19.9% equity stake in Replenish and provide an additional $7.5 million debenture investment, giving the company flexible capital to accelerate its growth plans.
The partnership also includes the appointment of SRC CEO Tim Close to Replenish's Board of Directors, while Dr. David Morris, founder and chairman of Morris Group Canada, will serve as a board advisor and be nominated for election as a director at the company's next annual meeting.
The investment proceeds will fund construction of a 150,000-metric-tonne pelletizing facility at the existing Beiseker site, along with expanded storage, processing, and load-out infrastructure to support both current granulation operations and future production. The expansion is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2028.
As part of the partnership, the companies have also signed a long-term supply agreement for carbonatite, a mineral-rich resource containing calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, trace minerals, and beneficial microbial properties. Replenish will incorporate the material into its proprietary regenerative fertilizer products, securing a reliable supply of a key ingredient for future growth.
#morris #board
Under the agreement, SRC Agrominerals will acquire an initial 19.9% equity stake in Replenish and provide an additional $7.5 million debenture investment, giving the company flexible capital to accelerate its growth plans.
The partnership also includes the appointment of SRC CEO Tim Close to Replenish's Board of Directors, while Dr. David Morris, founder and chairman of Morris Group Canada, will serve as a board advisor and be nominated for election as a director at the company's next annual meeting.
The investment proceeds will fund construction of a 150,000-metric-tonne pelletizing facility at the existing Beiseker site, along with expanded storage, processing, and load-out infrastructure to support both current granulation operations and future production. The expansion is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2028.
As part of the partnership, the companies have also signed a long-term supply agreement for carbonatite, a mineral-rich resource containing calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, trace minerals, and beneficial microbial properties. Replenish will incorporate the material into its proprietary regenerative fertilizer products, securing a reliable supply of a key ingredient for future growth.
#morris #board
2 months ago
Northbrook, Illinois-based CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) manufactures and sells hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities. Valued at $18.7 billion by market cap, the company provides clean energy to feed and fuel the world sustainably. The leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products is expected to announce its fiscal second-quarter earnings for 2026 after the market closes on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
Ahead of the event, ***** ysts expect CF to report a profit of $5.71 per share on a diluted basis, up 140.9% from $2.37 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has consistently surpassed the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
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#products
Ahead of the event, ***** ysts expect CF to report a profit of $5.71 per share on a diluted basis, up 140.9% from $2.37 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has consistently surpassed the consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters.
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2 months ago
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The Iran war pushed energy prices higher over the past couple of months, with elevated oil prices beginning to spill over into everyday expenses. And oil prices spiked sharply on Wednesday after US WTI crude (CL=F) jumped to $75.54 a barrel and Brent crude (BZ=F) climbed to $79.81, as President Trump declared the US-Iran deal "over."
Just last week, Brent had fallen below $71 a barrel, its lowest level since before the war began in February. Gas prices, which rose $1.16 a gallon nationally at the height of the war, had eased back to $3.79 — but could climb again if the renewed conflict disrupts supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
But fuel costs are not the only everyday household budget item to watch.
Roughly one-third of the world's fertilizer moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and the months-long closure raised concerns about supply. Farmers are warning of fertilizer shortages and price increases.
The Iran war pushed energy prices higher over the past couple of months, with elevated oil prices beginning to spill over into everyday expenses. And oil prices spiked sharply on Wednesday after US WTI crude (CL=F) jumped to $75.54 a barrel and Brent crude (BZ=F) climbed to $79.81, as President Trump declared the US-Iran deal "over."
Just last week, Brent had fallen below $71 a barrel, its lowest level since before the war began in February. Gas prices, which rose $1.16 a gallon nationally at the height of the war, had eased back to $3.79 — but could climb again if the renewed conflict disrupts supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
But fuel costs are not the only everyday household budget item to watch.
Roughly one-third of the world's fertilizer moves through the Strait of Hormuz, and the months-long closure raised concerns about supply. Farmers are warning of fertilizer shortages and price increases.
3 months ago
The Mosaic Company (MOS) is a leading global producer and marketer of crop nutrients, specializing in phosphate and potash fertilizers that are essential for improving agricultural yields. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, the company operates mining, production, and distribution facilities across North America and South America, serving farmers and agricultural customers worldwide.
Mosaic has a market capitalization of $7 billion, making it a "mid-cap" stock. As one of the world's largest producers of phosphate and potash fertilizers, Mosaic's products help farmers increase crop productivity and support global food demand. The company also develops advanced crop nutrition products and biological solutions aimed at improving nutrient efficiency and promoting sustainable farming practices.
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Mosaic has a market capitalization of $7 billion, making it a "mid-cap" stock. As one of the world's largest producers of phosphate and potash fertilizers, Mosaic's products help farmers increase crop productivity and support global food demand. The company also develops advanced crop nutrition products and biological solutions aimed at improving nutrient efficiency and promoting sustainable farming practices.
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3 months ago
So ex-college quarterback Brendan Sorsby suddenly finds himself with a year off, an unexpected interlude between the rigors of college and the pressures of a real job. Many recent college students, given this kind of gap year opportunity, will go backpacking across Europe or work a ski lift or sit in a lifeguard chair. Anything to stave off the real world a few months longer.
Sorsby probably won’t be staying in any Italian youth hostels or carving up ski slopes. But then, he’s got a much larger opportunity awaiting him than most gap-year ex-students … as long as he takes advantage of it.
Sorsby, of course, isn’t taking this career siesta by choice. Thanks to his incredibly foolish gambling habits, he went from leader of a College Football Playoff-level program to pariah faster than you can say three-team parlay. He’s got no one to blame but himself, even though he and his team have tried to rope in the University of Cincinnati, Texas Tech, the NCAA, the gambling-industrial complex, the NFL, and probably even the Vatican too, just to muddy the waters.
But that’s the past, and we’re not here to re-litigate the past. (Not even with a Texas judge.) No, let’s discuss Brendan Sorsby’s future, specifically the next 10 months of that future. Between now and the 2027 NFL Draft, Sorsby has a unique opportunity, a chance to completely rewrite the narrative that’s grown up around him, a narrative he and his lawyers have fed with heaping doses of fertilizer.
Sorsby gambled his way out of a starting job for one of the elite college programs in the country, and with it a potential gateway to the first round of the NFL draft. And for what? A few taps on an app, a few winners, a lot more losers. That’s how quickly you can gamble away what could have been a Heisman-level year, and that’s the kind of story Sorsby ought to be telling right now to every college student, every rookie in every league, everyone who’s used a promo code to get free bets and believed they were on the way to riches.
Sorsby probably won’t be staying in any Italian youth hostels or carving up ski slopes. But then, he’s got a much larger opportunity awaiting him than most gap-year ex-students … as long as he takes advantage of it.
Sorsby, of course, isn’t taking this career siesta by choice. Thanks to his incredibly foolish gambling habits, he went from leader of a College Football Playoff-level program to pariah faster than you can say three-team parlay. He’s got no one to blame but himself, even though he and his team have tried to rope in the University of Cincinnati, Texas Tech, the NCAA, the gambling-industrial complex, the NFL, and probably even the Vatican too, just to muddy the waters.
But that’s the past, and we’re not here to re-litigate the past. (Not even with a Texas judge.) No, let’s discuss Brendan Sorsby’s future, specifically the next 10 months of that future. Between now and the 2027 NFL Draft, Sorsby has a unique opportunity, a chance to completely rewrite the narrative that’s grown up around him, a narrative he and his lawyers have fed with heaping doses of fertilizer.
Sorsby gambled his way out of a starting job for one of the elite college programs in the country, and with it a potential gateway to the first round of the NFL draft. And for what? A few taps on an app, a few winners, a lot more losers. That’s how quickly you can gamble away what could have been a Heisman-level year, and that’s the kind of story Sorsby ought to be telling right now to every college student, every rookie in every league, everyone who’s used a promo code to get free bets and believed they were on the way to riches.
4 months ago
In the commodities **** et class in May 2026, ICE cocoa futures were the only commodity to post just below a double-digit percentage gain. Palladium, WTI, Brent crude oil, gasoline, heating oil, gasoline crack spreads, frozen concentrated orange juice, and Ethereum declined by over 10%. The leading stock market indices moved higher, while the long bond futures were steady. The dollar index rose by 0.95%. The long bond futures fell by 0.47%. A higher dollar and elevated interest rates weighed on many commodity prices.
A continued ceasefire and hopes of a settlement between Iran and the United States that opens the Strait of Hormuz, a critical logistical chokepoint for crude oil, sent crude oil, oil products, crack spreads, and fertilizer prices lower in May.
Oil Prices Soar as Iran Shuts Down US-Iran Ceasefire Negotiations
Oil Prices Soar as Iran Halts US-Iran Ceasefire Negotiations
Nat-Gas Prices Fall Back on Cooler Forecasts for the East
A continued ceasefire and hopes of a settlement between Iran and the United States that opens the Strait of Hormuz, a critical logistical chokepoint for crude oil, sent crude oil, oil products, crack spreads, and fertilizer prices lower in May.
Oil Prices Soar as Iran Shuts Down US-Iran Ceasefire Negotiations
Oil Prices Soar as Iran Halts US-Iran Ceasefire Negotiations
Nat-Gas Prices Fall Back on Cooler Forecasts for the East
5 months ago
Efforts continue to address Iowa farmers’ demands
Iowa farmers are raising concern for what some state lawmakers are calling an agriculture economy downturn. A timely issue for farmers revolves around their access to fertilizer supplies. Nitrogen is a key import for fertilizer.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the war in Iran has disrupted fertilizer production and trade. John Whitaker is a Henry County farmer who says agriculture policy is “pragmatic” and bipartisan.
“Farmers never did like to get money from the mailbox, they want money from the market. We
Iowa farmers are raising concern for what some state lawmakers are calling an agriculture economy downturn. A timely issue for farmers revolves around their access to fertilizer supplies. Nitrogen is a key import for fertilizer.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the war in Iran has disrupted fertilizer production and trade. John Whitaker is a Henry County farmer who says agriculture policy is “pragmatic” and bipartisan.
“Farmers never did like to get money from the mailbox, they want money from the market. We
8 months ago
KALIDA — Unverferth Manufacturing Company has announced that its Air Command Section Control System, designed for Unverferth Pro-Force dry fertilizer spreaders, has received the prestigious AE50 Award.
This award recognizes the year’s most innovative products in agriculture, food and biological systems, honoring advancements that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement and meaningful impact in the markets they serve.
Unverferth’s Air Command Section Control technology was selected as one of approximately 50 award recipients for its ability to enhance application accuracy and help pro
This award recognizes the year’s most innovative products in agriculture, food and biological systems, honoring advancements that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement and meaningful impact in the markets they serve.
Unverferth’s Air Command Section Control technology was selected as one of approximately 50 award recipients for its ability to enhance application accuracy and help pro
8 months ago
When people think about agricultural pollution, they often picture what is easy to see: fertilizer spreaders crossing fields or muddy runoff after a heavy storm. However, a much more significant threat is quietly and invisibly building in the ground.
Across some of the most productive farmland in the United States, a nutrient called phosphorus has been accumulating in the soil for decades, at levels far beyond what crops actually require. While this element is essential for life-supporting root development and cellular chemistry to grow food, too much of it in the wrong places has become a gr
Across some of the most productive farmland in the United States, a nutrient called phosphorus has been accumulating in the soil for decades, at levels far beyond what crops actually require. While this element is essential for life-supporting root development and cellular chemistry to grow food, too much of it in the wrong places has become a gr
