Monsanto Fourth Quarter Earnings

Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) announced its results for the most recent quarter on October 3, 2012. Monsanto manufactures agricultural products.

Earnings are perhaps the single most studied number in a company's financial statements because they show a company's profitability. SEE: Earnings: Quality Means Everything

The Numbers: Monsanto's EPS fell in line with analyst expectations of -44 cents per share while revenue of $2.11 billion missed estimates of $4 billion. Revenue fell 6.1% from the same period last year. Monsanto's net loss for the fourth quarter widened to $229 million. The company lost $112 million during the same quarter last year.



Management Quote: "We've proven our business on a global stage with back-to-back years of tremendous performance and momentum," said Hugh Grant, chairman and chief executive officer for Monsanto. "With more waves of innovation and global opportunities than ever before, I'm confident that by building off what we accomplished in 2012 we can achieve steady growth in fiscal year 2013 as we continue to deliver sustainable yield to our farmer customers."



Looking Ahead: For the next quarter, analysts are growing pessimistic about the company's expected results. The average estimate for the first quarter of the next fiscal year is 32 cents per share, dropping from 33 cents a month ago. A decreasing earning estimate is a negative sign and usually leads to a drop in the stock price. The average estimate for the fiscal year has seen a bump from $3.56 per share 60 days ago to $3.71.