About Agrium and Jana Partners
As one of the largest Canadian companies by market capitalization, Agrium is a major global retailer and wholesaler of fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, seed varietals and many other essential agricultural products. The company also sells fertilizer components like nitrates and potash (NYSE:POT) to smaller manufacturers and distributors. In recent years, Agrium has invested heavily in the micro-nutrients sector and now provides specialized growth stimulants and fertilizers to retail customers like greenhouses and turf growers. It deals with individual farmers, farmers’ cooperatives, and business customers in equal measure. In 2012, Agrium employed about 15,000 people and earned about $1.5 billion on $16.6 billion in gross revenues.
Jana Partners is a privately-held hedge fund that specializes in leveraged buyouts, mergers, spin-offs and other value-unlocking corporate actions. The fund specializes in nominating favored individuals to prominent positions on the boards of companies in which it owns significant stakes. Jana now owns about 6.2 percent of Agrium. At the company’s current share price, this stake has an equity value north of $1 billion. Although Jana is a privately-held concern and does not issue quarterly or annual income reports, the company is believed to have at least $3 billion in assets under management. Managing partner Barry Rosenstein is Jana’s point man on the Agrium play.
What Jana Partners Wants
Jana Partners has made two related demands of Agrium’s board. First, it has advocated for a spin-off of the company’s retail fertilizer and seed businesses. Upon making its desire public in August of 2012, Jana argued that such a spin-off would increase the value of Agrium’s stock by at least $50 per share.
Relative to Agrium’s early-August average closing price of about $95 per share, this would represent an increase to $145 per share and a shareholder premium of about 53 percent. Relative to the company’s current closing price of about $114 per share, such a move would represent a premium of roughly 27 percent.
Jana has also advocated for a focused program of share buybacks. This appears to be less controversial. In fact, Agrium wrapped up a share buyback program valued at $900 million during the latter half of 2012. At the moment, this appears to have satisfied Mr. Rosenstein.
Agrium’s Response
Agrium has responded forcefully to Jana’s spin-off demand. The company’s management team has issued several statements that accuse Jana of misreading its retail business and proposing “value-destroying” changes to the company’s structure. In addition, it has thus far resisted Jana’s board nominees. While this is not the final word on the proposed spin-off’s viability, it is unclear whether the action can proceed without a change of heart from Agrium’s board of directors. Then again, Jana has a history of winning drawn-out spin-off battles.
Complications and Legal Issues
Since Agrium has few North American equals, it appears unlikely that the company’s management team will be able to seek protection from a fellow competitor. Its closest Canadian analogue is Potash Corp./Saskatchewan (USA) (NYSE:POT). With a market capitalization of about $36 billion, Potash could serve as a buyer for Agrium’s retail division in a pinch. An Agrium buyout could further benefit Potash’s $2 billion in earnings and solidify a spot at the top of the industry.
