FMC Stock Rises 18% in 3 Months: What's Driving the Rally?
FMC Corporation’s FMC shares have shot up 18% over the past three months, outperforming the broader chemical - diversified industry's rise of 8.7%. FMC has also topped the S&P 500’s roughly 5.2% rise over the same period.
Let’s dive into the factors behind FMC stock’s price appreciation.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
FMC Stock Gains on New Products & Restructuring Actions
FMC delivered better-than-expected results in the second quarter on the back of higher volumes. It saw improved demand in the quarter, leading to an increase in sales volumes, especially in the United States and Brazil. FMC is gaining from efforts to expand its product portfolio through new product launches and restructuring actions.
The company is investing in technologies as well as new product launches to enhance value to the farmers. New products launched in Europe, North America and Asia are gaining significant traction. Product introductions are expected to support the company’s results this year.
FMC generated $590 million in sales in 2023 from new products launched in the past five years. It sees revenues from new products to grow by roughly $200 million in 2024. It expects a significant amount of volume growth to come from new products in the second half of 2024. FMC is seeing strong gains in new products including Coragen eVo and Premio Star insecticides and the Onsuva fungicide in Latin America.
The acquisition of BioPhero ApS, a Denmark-based pheromone research and production company, also adds biologically produced state-of-the-art pheromone insect control technology to the company’s product portfolio and R&D pipeline, highlighting FMC's role as a leader in delivering innovative and sustainable crop protection solutions.
FMC is also expected to benefit from reduced input costs, a favorable product mix and its cost-control actions. It benefited from favorable input costs in the second quarter of 2024. FMC is also making progress with its global restructuring and cost-reduction program. It sees benefits from restructuring to contribute $75-$100 million to full-year 2024 adjusted EBITDA, net of inflation.
FMC Corporation Stock Price and Consensus
FMC Corporation price-consensus-chart | FMC Corporation Quote
FMC’s Zacks Rank & Other Key Picks
FMC currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Better-ranked stocks in the Basic Materials space are IAMGOLD Corporation IAG, Eldorado Gold Corporation EGO and Hawkins, Inc. HWKN. While IAMGOLD sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Eldorado Gold and Hawkins carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IAMGOLD’s current-year earnings has increased by 45.4% in the past 60 days. IAG beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters with the average surprise being 200%. Its shares have shot up roughly 148% in the past year.
Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.
The consensus estimate for Eldorado Gold’s current year earnings is pegged at $1.40 per share, indicating a year-over-year rise of 145.6%. EGO beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 430.3%. The company's shares have rallied roughly 103% in the past year.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Hawkins’ current fiscal-year earnings is pegged at $4.14, indicating a rise of 15.3% from year-ago levels. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWKN’s current fiscal-year earnings has increased 12.8% in the past 60 days. The stock has rallied around 115% in the past year.
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
FMC Corporation (FMC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Iamgold Corporation (IAG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Eldorado Gold Corporation (EGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Hawkins, Inc. (HWKN) : Free Stock Analysis Report