Plant Health Care Share Discussion Threads

[pugugly] 16/5/2011 15:01

You are a brave man if you do - Still appears to be burning cash and inspite of a lot of digging I cannot find any clear evidence (originating with farmers generally, rather than closely monitered reseach) that the use of the prducts produces a cash/profitable significant increase in crop yields.

If I could be convinced I would buy but until then I am watchfully waiting.

[envirovision] 16/5/2011 14:27

time for a punt ?

[admiralne1son] 18/4/2011 10:33

Rising food prices may not help. The roi achieved from using PHC products is unclear in the agricultural market place. There are any number of existing technologies that are tried and trusted and provide adequate return. Convincing the worldwide farming community to change to anything remotely unknown has always been difficult. Another thing to consider is that increased outputs invariably lead to lower commodity pricing, so the balance struck between producing above or below certain levels is a delicate one. It is often in the farmers interests to keep supply low in order to achieve higher prices. Worldwide food shortages are of no interest to a farmer who is only able to sell produce locally.
On the positive side, PHC have cash and appear to have the support of a number of II's. Any upturn in Monsanto's fortunes could bode well here.

[the_doctor] 15/4/2011 10:22

I find it hard to see what will turn this company around.
BUT, I havent looked at it much yet.
Presumably new partnership deals remain a big hope for the share price in 2011?

I'd be interested in hearing balanced positive views about why the company will start to improve.
Economic weakness wont help if the recovery falters
I'm assuming PHC products are more expensive? although rising food prices will help... depending on how well PHC can limit the effect of rising raw material prices.

[mdrans1] 13/4/2011 16:16

Sorry my mistake.

[mthead1968] 13/4/2011 15:14

What's the issue with the date of the article? It's up to date comment isn't it?

[mdrans1] 12/4/2011 19:00

Trackerjackv

Look at the date.

[envirovision] 12/4/2011 15:26

Monsanto / BASF setting the sector alight today.

[mdrans1] 15/3/2011 17:27

Pug,

It was posted on 19 Jun'08 !

[pugugly] 15/3/2011 14:05

mdrans1;> Sorry your posts out of date. PHC have been kicked in the goolies by Monsanto - and/or Monsanto made a very bad call - Massive stock overhang of Harpin.

Remember farmers are the most Conservative of users - Thye are very very slow adopters of new technology.

[trackerjack] 21/2/2011 16:23

Interesting story on GCI today

[pugugly] 21/2/2011 08:29

I suspect people looking at new distribution agreement but not reading between the lines that initial stock is coming from Monsanto surplus SO WHERE ARE THE NEW SALES TO COME FROM ????????

[mdrans1] 21/2/2011 08:14

It's up ! Was the bad news already in the price?

[envirovision] 21/2/2011 07:52

another year like that and they will be bust.

[pugugly] 21/2/2011 07:46

Results look diabolical - Usual forward looking spin BUT ??????

[mdrans1] 27/1/2011 13:40

PHC gets a mention in today's Shares Mag. Chemicals sector report. Referring to downtrodden PHC they say investors might like to punt the stock for its medium-term recovery potential.

[mdrans1] 18/1/2011 17:58

bobdouthwaite
UK, 18th January 2011, by Agrimoney.com Plant HealthCare revamp ties fortunes to Monsanto.

There is one important difference with Monsanto this time round which is not mentioned in the above.

This from the Half Yearly Report 16 August 2010 :-

Monsanto has embarked on a new strategy of offering farmers the ability to use Harpin as a stand alone product, as well as in conjunction with its Acceleron Seed Treatment product, across all of its soybean seeds. This has dramatically increased the size of the potential market to approximately 35-40 million acres from 2010 when only approximately 6 million acres were planted with RR2Y beans treated with Acceleron (incorporating Harpin).

[bobdouthwaite] 18/1/2011 17:22

"10:05 UK, 18th January 2011, by Agrimoney.com
Plant Health Care revamp ties fortunes to Monsanto

Plant Health Care's exit from direct sales has increased its vulnerability to setbacks at key customer Monsanto, whose slow seed revenues last spring prompted the alternative agrichemicals group to warn on its results.

Plant Health Care revealed on Friday that it was pulling back from parts of its historic strategy, including direct sales, to focus on licensing deals it sees as a more lucrative revenue source.

"If they want to get their products out to as many acres as possible, direct sales isn't really going to achieve that," a person familiar with the company's thinking told Agrimoney.com.

However, the company for now has a limited roster of licensees – albeit including big names such as Syngenta - for its products, which aim to enhance a plant's own capabilities to see off pests or take up nutrients.

Plant Health Care's fortunes appear particularly tied to Monsanto, the world's biggest seeds group, which has a deal to apply the Harpin plant protection product as a seed treatment.

'Key to sentiment'

"The key near-term share price driver is the rate at which revenues from Monsanto pick up over next quarter, which is the main selling period for soybean seeds," Evolution analyst Philip Sparks said.

"Newsflow from Monsanto... will be key to sentiment."

Indeed, Plant Health Care's shares could "meander" until data is forthcoming from Monsanto, whose slow sales last spring prompted the London-listed company to warn revenues would miss targets, sending the stock down by more than one-third.

Investors have higher hopes for Monsanto this year, following a revamp of its pricing structure, and with strong crop prices improving farmers' willingness to splash out on genetically-enhanced seed.

Monsanto shares have rebounded more than 50% from a nadir in late September.

Mr Sparks kept a "buy" rating on Plant Health Care shares with a price target of 1650p.

US disposal

Plant Health Care's strategic revamp has involved the disposal of a US landscape and retail business which had been in part viewed as a way of enhancing direct sales.

However, the business, sold for $4.65m, has been hit by the downturn in the US housing market, seeing operating profits drop to some $400,000 in the last financial year.

"Investors attach little value to Plant Health Care's products businesses," Mr Sparks said.

"The [group's] long term prospects are unaffected by the sale."

Plant Health Care shares stood unchanged at 74.5p in morning deals"


A price target of 1650p...I think not!

[pugugly] 14/1/2011 11:20

Latest rns re reorganisation does not seem (imo) to offer much promise. Getting scewed by the big boys. Anyone see any future for the company ?

[pugugly] 21/12/2010 15:03

looks as though may be re-arranging deck chairs on the titanic. Higest daily volume by far for a year. Nearly double the previous high. I wonder what the buyer knows or suspects he knows in favour of thecompany.

It will be interesting to see the rns.

[envirovision] 21/12/2010 13:17

No idea on the terms.

[pugugly] 21/12/2010 13:12

envirovision:> Have you any idea if the other seed companies are testing at their own expense or are the tests being heavily subsidised out of the PHC research budget ?

If the latter then it is a no brainer for the Seed companies and a potential disaster zone for PHC