--> Stock -1% pre-mkt.
Co issues downside guidance for Q1 (Mar), sees EPS of 'just above breakeven' vs. $0.53 Capital IQ Consensus Estimate.
Co also announced that the late spring season this year is expected to result in first quarter earnings per share just above breakeven. The slow start to the spring season is expected to impact the timing of Wholesale, and to a lesser extent Retail, earnings. First quarter Wholesale results were also impacted by reduced rail availability and the usual lag in realized wholesale nutrient prices.
Additionally, the Carseland nitrogen facility experienced a failure in the auxiliary boiler on March 22, 2014. There will be an unplanned shutdown to fix the boiler which is expected to be complete in the second half of May 2014. The shutdown is anticipated to lower product availability of urea by ~100,000 tonnes and ammonia by ~20,000 tonnes in the second quarter of 2014.