"K+S announced today it will lower its potash price in Europe to ae435 per tonne from ae555. This compares with prices of $735-750 in Brazil and $625 in India. While current spot prices have been expected to drop subsequent to a settlement in India or China, we are concerned that K+S stepping in ahead of BPC and Canpotex may indicate a weakening of the industry discipline at this crucial time," UBS analyst Roni Biron writes.
A year ago, Israel Chemicals' share price was at an all-time high of NIS 74. At the time, corn prices were at $7 per bushel and potash prices hovered around $1,000 per tonne. Corn prices are now around $4 per bushel, and potash prices have subsided.
Biron has reduced his price estimate for potash for the second half of 2009 and for 2010 to $570 per tonne from $650 per tonne, reflecting prices of $500 in China, $550 in India and $600 spot.
Biron notes that "ICL ships over 1.5 million tonnes to Europe in a typical year (c.30 percent of volume)."
Yesterday, Israel Chemicals' share price fell almost 8 percent in the wake of K+S's profit warning.
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