ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, U.S. — CHS Inc. announced on April 8 that net income for the second quarter of 2015 decreased 64% to $92.8 million from $260.1 million a year ago, mostly due to poor results in the energy segment.
Revenues for the quarter of $8.4 billion declined from $9.7 billion the same period a year ago.
CHS said net income for the six months of the year was $471.5 million, a 6% decrease from the same period a year earlier. The decrease was primarily attributed to lower earnings within the company’s energy businesses, which were partially offset by improved performance in the Ag segment.
Revenues of $17.9 billion for the first half of fiscal 2015 were down 14% compared with $20.7 billion through the second quarter of fiscal 2014, largely due to lower average selling prices for the commodity energy, grain, fertilizer and processed grains the company handles.
The company's Ag segment — which includes its grain marketing and fertilizer businesses, renewable fuels, local retail operations, and soybean processing and food ingredients — reported increased earnings through the second quarter to $58 million from $38 million last year. For the first six months, segment income was $200.4 million compared to $157.2 million in the same period a year earlier.
Earnings within the Energy segment declined for the six-month period to $291.3 million from $355.5 million, primarily due to significantly lower petroleum refining margins during the second quarter, as well as lower propane earnings. In the second quarter, earnings were $14.1 million, down from $229.1 million.
Within this segment, wholesale fertilizer margins increased while local retail operations earnings improved due to higher grain volumes and margins. CHS processing business reported increased income. Renewable fuels earnings were flat, while grain marketing earnings declined, primarily due to decreased logistical performance which was partially offset by improved export margins.