Monsanto Slightly Maintaining Gains Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) beat Wall Street estimates for its fiscal first-quarter earnings on January 7, despite reporting lower revenue and profit than the same quarter last year.

Following the earnings beat and a few positive ratings from major Wall Street research firms, the stock is up slightly over the last four trading sessions.

Below is a closer look at some analysts' perspectives.

Related Link: China's Approval Could Make Agriculture More Appealing

Analyst Ratings

Deutsche Bank remains bullish, as it reiterated a Buy rating and raised its price target for the stock from $130 to $132, implying an upside potential of more than 10 percent from the stock price of $119.19 at time of writing.

Also bullish on the company is JP Morgan, which maintained its Overweight rating, accompanied by a price target of $125, up from its previous price target of $120.

On the other hand, Miller Tabak remains cautious, maintaining a Neutral rating for the stock. The firm had downgraded the company on Christmas Eve.

What About China?

Recent news about China’s Ministry of Agriculture having approved genetically engineered corn produced by Switzerland’s Syngenta AG bodes well for the whole agricultural sector. This first step opens the door for U.S. shipments to resume in the near future.

With corn trading at multi-year lows, and farmers cutting costs downsizing and shifting their focus to other crops, the Chinese market could prove crucial.