Monsanto Mum on Bayer Deal as Profit, Sales Slip

Earnings hurt by glyphosate pricing declines, delayed product launch and other headwinds. Mr. Grant said that Monsanto’s “growth prospects with or without a deal remain strong” despite a “low point” in the agricultural business that has pressured profits for the world’s top sellers of seeds, pesticides, tractors and fertilizer. As crop prices remain low and farmer income pressured, Monsanto on Wednesday said fiscal third-quarter earnings fell more than Wall Street analysts anticipated, and projected that full-year profits would come in at the lower end of the range the company outlined in the spring.