Agricultural processor Bunge Ltd posted higher-than-expected quarterly earnings on Thursday, citing strong global demand for grains and oilseeds.
Profit in Bunge's core agribusiness segment more than doubled as demand for agricultural goods such as corn, soybeans and wheat grown in the United States and South America surged following crop shortfalls in Russia and other key exporting nations.
Bunge shares rose as much as 2.2 percent to their highest point since September 2008 after the company forecast continued strong market conditions for the division, which buys, sells, stores and processes grain and oilseeds.
"The favourable environment for our grain merchandising business should continue," Chief Financial Officer Drew Burke said. "Global demand is good, and farmers around the world are responding to high agricultural commodity prices by increasing crop production."
Bunge reported a first-quarter net profit of $232 million, or $1.49 per share, up from $63 million, or 31 cents a share, a year earlier.
Analysts on average were expecting earnings of $1.31 per share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.
Revenues rose to $12.19 billion from $10.35 billion. Analysts had expected $12.10 billion.
Bunge is one of the world's largest processors of agricultural products and among the top sugar and ethanol producers in South America.
Quarterly profit in the company's agribusiness segment surged to $253 million from $122 million.
That more than offset lower results in oilseed processing stemming from weak margins and lower volumes in Europe following a severe drought in the Black Sea region last summer.
Bunge said oilseed processing margins in South America and Europe should improve later in the year, although US margins will probably remain pressured by excess capacity.
Sugar and bioenergy segment earnings fell to $2 million, from $5 million. Low milling volumes due to a drought-reduced Brazilian sugar cane crop last year offset record prices for the sweetener.
Profit in edible oil products jumped to $34 million from $18 million.
Milling products earnings climbed to $33 million from $13 million as wheat purchases made before a spike in prices supported margins.
But Bunge cautioned that wheat milling margins would narrow as its low-cost wheat inventory is replenished at current market prices.
The fertiliser segment's loss narrowed to $5 million from $40 million in the typically low-volume first quarter.
Shares of Bunge were up 0.1 percent at $74.41 on the New York Stock Exchange after rising to a 2 1/2-year high of $76.01 earlier in the session.
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