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Tight global grain supplies are expected to keep profits at crop
merchant Archer-Daniels-Midland Co (ADM.N) down for the rest of the year,
executives said on Tuesday (Aug 26, 2022), as shipments from Ukraine are likely
to gradually resume.
Shares rose 5% to their highest in more than a month after the
company reported a 74% jump in second-quarter earnings.
Supply-chain intermediaries such as ADM have seen strong demand
for the crops they ship around the world since Russia attacked major corn and
wheat exporter Ukraine in late February, where ADM operates an export terminal.
Russia, Ukraine, NATO member Turkey and the United Nations
signed an agreement on Friday to unlock Ukrainian grain exports from the Black
Sea.
However, it will take time for large volumes to leave the
country, ADM Chief Executive Juan Luciano said on a conference call. Shippers
face issues with obtaining fuel, workers, insurance and financing, he said.
"At the beginning, you're going to see a little bit of a
trickle-down of exports," Luciano said. "It's going to take a little
bit of building confidence that this works before you can put (up) the bigger
boats."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said around $10 billion worth of grain will be available for sale, with roughly 20 million tonnes of last year's harvest exportable.
Luciano said he hopes to see Ukrainian exports of the 20
million-30 millions tonnes of grain trapped in the country grow over the next
two to three months. read more
"If we don't have access to those inventories," he
said, "next year we may have an availability issue for food because we
will lose part of the crop".
In the April to June quarter, adjusted operating profit in ADM's
core agricultural services and oilseeds unit increased to $1.12 billion from
$570 million in the same period of last year.
Third-quarter results should also rise significantly from last
year, Chief Financial Officer Vikram Luthar said.
Net earnings reached $1.24 billion, or $2.18 per share, compared
with $712 million, or $1.26 per share, last year. ADM projected full-year
earnings per share of $6.50. Full-year 2021 earnings were $4.79, or $5.19 on an
adjusted basis.
"Our scenario is for tightness going forward," Luciano
said.
|Source: Online/SZK
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