ZACKS·2025-07-03 14:16Industry Overview - The Zacks Agriculture – Operations industry is expected to benefit from continuous innovation and rising demand for health-conscious products, particularly alternative proteins [1] - The industry includes companies involved in the production, transportation, storage, processing, and distribution of agricultural commodities, as well as those engaged in dairy operations and food ingredient development [3] Growth Drivers - Key growth drivers include acquisitions, joint ventures, expansion strategies, advances in food processing, enhanced grain-handling techniques, and strong demand from emerging markets [1][5] - The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects agricultural exports of $170.5 billion for fiscal 2025, driven by stronger grain and feed exports, particularly corn [4] Challenges - The industry faces headwinds such as volatile commodity prices, rising input costs, trade uncertainties, and escalating operational expenses, which are squeezing margins and disrupting productivity [2][6] - Companies are managing higher selling, general, and administrative (SG&A) expenses due to performance-related compensation and technology investments [7] Market Performance - The Zacks Agriculture – Operations industry has outperformed the Zacks Consumer Staples sector with a collective gain of 9.3% over the past year, while underperforming the S&P 500, which gained 11.5% [11] - The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 229, placing it in the bottom 7% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating dull near-term prospects [9][10] Company Highlights - Mission Produce: Engaged in sourcing and distributing avocados, mangoes, and blueberries, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2025 earnings up 18% in the past 30 days [17][18] - Corteva: Positioned for above-market growth through innovation and a strong product pipeline, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings suggesting a 16.7% increase [21][23] - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM): Focused on nutrition and sustainable materials, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 earnings declining by 0.5% [25][26] - Alico: Benefits from strong consumption of not-from-concentrate orange juice, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for current fiscal-year sales suggesting a 20.5% growth [29][30]