Monsanto (NYSE:MON) is a provider of seeds and biotech traits for corn, soybeans and cotton. Bayer, a German Life Sciences company, proposed acquiring Monsanto in the second quarter in what is a rapidly consolidating agricultural seeds and chemicals sector. Monsanto ultimately rejected Bayer’s initial offer of $122 per share as financially inadequate, but discussions remain ongoing. We have long viewed Monsanto as the highest quality franchise in agriculture, a view validated by Bayer’s acquisition proposal. The company’s earnings power is currently facing a number of headwinds, including currency effects, low commodity prices, regulatory delays and longer product introduction cycles. Nevertheless, we view its technology and research & development pipeline as second-to-none, which should allow it to create double-digit earnings growth from 2017 through 2019.
From Weitz Value Fund's Value second quarter 2016 commentary.
