Some stocks are like elite athletes. They may come with some extraneous baggage, but they still warrant a sizeable investment because they perform at such a high level. #-ad_banner-#Perhaps the best example of this: Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON), the well-known agricultural biotechnology firm that has sparked a lot of controversy thanks to its aggressive marketing tactics in the agricultural sector. It all started about 20 years ago when Monsanto introduced the first genetically modified or GMO seed, an herbicide-resistant soybean that enabled farmers to spray weed killers without damaging their soybean crop. Since then, Monsanto has gotten… Read More
Some stocks are like elite athletes. They may come with some extraneous baggage, but they still warrant a sizeable investment because they perform at such a high level. #-ad_banner-#Perhaps the best example of this: Monsanto Co. (NYSE: MON), the well-known agricultural biotechnology firm that has sparked a lot of controversy thanks to its aggressive marketing tactics in the agricultural sector. It all started about 20 years ago when Monsanto introduced the first genetically modified or GMO seed, an herbicide-resistant soybean that enabled farmers to spray weed killers without damaging their soybean crop. Since then, Monsanto has gotten a lot of bad press and been involved in numerous lawsuits related to its genetically modified seeds, herbicides and pesticides. That’s the baggage. But the fact remains that Monsanto’s products remain extremely popular with farmers. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be generating industry-leading sales and profits or delivering impressive stock returns. Consider the company’s performance over the past few years. Monsanto Financial Performance 2011-2014 2011 2012 2013 2014 Growth Rate Revenue (in billions) $11.8 $13.5 $14.9 $15.9 10.5% Net income (in billions) $1.6 $2.1 $2.5 $2.7 19.1% Earnings per share $2.96 $3.79 $4.60 $5.22 20.8% Dividends per… Read More