Nutrien Closes Profertil Stake Sale, Advances Portfolio Strategy

Nutrien Ltd. NTR has officially completed the sale of its 50% equity position in Argentina-based nitrogen producer Profertil S.A., marking a major milestone in its strategic portfolio realignment efforts.  The stake was sold to Adecoagro S.A. and Asociación de Cooperativas Argentinas (ACA) for approximately $600 million on a pre-tax basis, consistent with the terms announced in September 2025. The transaction reinforces Nutrien’s capital-allocation priorities — targeted growth investments, share repurchases and debt reduction — aimed at increasing long-term free cash flow per share. Nutrien has generated around $900 million in gross proceeds from asset divestitures since the fourth quarter of 2024, underlining the scale of its portfolio rationalization activities. This strategic exit from Profertil aligns with Nutrien’s broader shift toward focusing on core markets and operations, even as industry dynamics, such as fertilizer demand and regional performance, continue to evolve.  Shares of NTR are up 31.9% year to date compared with its industry’s 8.6% rise. Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchNTR Zacks Rank & Key picksNTR currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are Croda International Plc. COIHY, Hochschild Mining Plc. HCHDF and Equinox Gold Corporation EQX. COIHY, HCHDF and EQX all carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COIHY’s current fiscal-year earnings stands at 95 cents per share, indicating a 4.4% year-over-year increase. Shares of COIHY have lost 18.3% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HCHDF’s current fiscal-year earnings stands at 36 cents per share, suggesting a 57% year-over-year increase. Shares of HCHDF have surged 104.9% over the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EQX’s current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at 54 cents per share, indicating a 170% year-over-year increase. Its earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters and missed twice, with the average surprise being 87%. Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI ExplosionThe next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Hochschild Mining PLC (HCHDF): Free Stock Analysis Report Croda International PLC Unsponsored ADR (COIHY): Free Stock Analysis Report Nutrien Ltd. (NTR): Free Stock Analysis Report Equinox Gold Corp. (EQX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks