15 Biggest Agriculture Stocks in 2025

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8. Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM)

Market Cap: $11.03 billion

Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) is a Chilean chemical company that produces a wide range of products, such as specialty plant nutrients, iodine, lithium, potassium chloride, and other chemicals. For the last five decades, the company has been committed to the agriculture sector and has provided nutritional solutions for high-value crops worldwide.

During its Q3 2024 earnings call on November 19, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) reported a net income of $131.4 million, or 46 cents per share. This was down 72.6% from last year. The company’s revenue came in at $1.08 billion, which was also 41.5% lower compared to Q3 2023. SQM’s financial performance was pressured during the quarter by weaker year-over-year pricing.

However, in an encouraging trend, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) experienced positive volume growth in most business segments compared to last year. The fertilizer markets are showing great recovery. The Specialty Plant Nutrition business line saw a 21% year-over-year increase in volume and a revenue growth of 12%. The company is also seeing strong demand for iodine, resulting in an increase in both volume and revenue from last year. In lithium, SQM had a sales volume of over 51,000 metric tons, which was up 18% year-over-year. This demonstrated strong demand, mainly driven by EV sales growth in China.

While demand remains robust, Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM) conceded the challenges associated with a 24% drop in average realized lithium prices from Q2 2024 due to oversupply in the market. However, it is confident that it enjoys a strong competitive edge in the lithium market and will continue to work on its ongoing projects, which will position the company to harvest benefits as the world transitions to clean energy.

Wall Street analysts anticipate a 21% uptick, on average, in Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (NYSE:SQM)’s share price. Investor sentiment continues to improve as well. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 12 hedge funds held a stake in the company, up from 9 at the end of Q2.

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