Thursday, December 19, 2013

Seeking Alpha: Poor Yields Sap SLC Agricola

Three out of four will have to do. My Alpha-Rich calls to buy South American ag companies Adecoagro (AGRO) and Cresud (CRESY) have both worked out well, with performance well ahead of the S&P 500, and my relative bearishness on BrasilAgro (LND) has likewise worked out with a share price decline of 10%. SLC Agricola (OTCPK:SLCJY) is the exception and the stock that has not performed as I had thought it should. While the 8% return from my call has basically matched the performance of the Bovespa, it lags the performance of the S&P 500 and the performance of the Brazilian-listed shares (SLCE3.SA), which have risen about 18%.

Blaming currency moves and/or skittishness about land values in Brazil is fine to a point, and I do think that the disappointing cotton harvest played a significant role. Management isn't really changing much about their operating philosophy, though the company's decision to lease land instead of buy it does give some reason for pause. I do believe that SLC Agricola remains one of the best-run ag companies in the market and I continue to believe that the shares are undervalued at these levels.

Please continue here:
Poor Yields Sap SLC Agricola

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