July 27 (Reuters) - Potash Corporation Of Saskatchewan Inc POT.TO :
* PotashCorp reports second-quarter earnings of $0.24 per share
* Q2 earnings per share $0.24
* Q2 earnings per share view $0.18 -- Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S
* Reaffirms FY 2017 earnings per share view $0.45 to $0.65
* Potash Corp - expect merger of equals with agrium to close late in Q3 of 2017
* Potash Corp - full-year 2017 guidance maintained at $0.45-$0.65 per share, including merger-related costs of $0.06 per share
* Potash Corp - full-year 2017 guidance maintained at $0.45-$0.65 per share, including merger-related costs of $0.06 per share
* Potash Corp Q2 sales $1,120 million versus $1,053 million
* "global potash markets continued to improve through Q2"
* Potash Corp - for potash, sales volumes for quarter (2.4 million tonnes) exceeded those for comparable periods in 2016
* Potash Corp sees FY 2017 capital expenditures about $600 million
* "in nitrogen, startup of new global capacity had a negative impact on market fundamentals during quarter"
* Potash Corp - increased anticipated potash global shipment range to 62-65 million tonnes for 2017
* Potash Corp - average realized potash price of $174 per tonne for Q2
* Potash - "despite strong demand in Latam, global phosphate markets remained subdued in Q2 largely due to increased supply and lower shipments to India"
* Potash Corp - for nitrogen, sales volumes of 1.6 million tonnes for quarter were 6 percent higher than those in same period of 2016
* Potash Corp - for potash, in North America, believe supportive crop prices, need to replenish soil nutrients to support consumption through remainder of year
* Potash Corp - in India, anticipate good monsoon, agronomic need and increased acreage will offset impact of lower subsidies for potash in 2017
* Potash Corp - for nitrogen, average realized price of $223 per tonne during quarter declined from $244 per tonne in same period last year
* For phosphate, sales volumes of 0.6 million tonnes for quarter were higher than 0.5 million tonnes sold in prior year's Q2
* Potash Corp - for potash, in Latin America, supportive crop economics are expected to maintain a positive demand environment for remainder of 2017
* Potash Corp - now expect deliveries of 4.0-4.5 million tonnes of potash for year in India
* Average realized phosphate price for quarter was $407 per tonne, down from $485 per tonne in same period last year
* Potash Corp - lowered top end of our combined nitrogen and phosphate gross margin range and now estimate $150-$300 million in 2017
* Potash Corp - "anticipate more subdued nitrogen and phosphate markets in second half to offset strength in potash"
* Potash Corp - now estimate demand for full year in range of 15.5-16.5 million tonnes of potash in China
* Potash Corp - in Latin America, following robust first-half deliveries, we now expect record full-year shipments of 12.0-12.5 million tonnes
* Potash Corp - with lowest cost operation now ramped up, co on track to reduce potash cost of goods sold by $10 per tonne this year
* Potash Corp sees 2017 potash sales volumes 9.0-9.4 million tonnes
* Potash Corp - in nitrogen, startup of new global capacity had a negative impact on market fundamentals during quarter
* FY 2017 earnings per share view $0.62 -- Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S
* Q2 revenue view $1.09 billion -- Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S
* "in phosphate, we anticipate that challenging market fundamentals will continue to impact prices and our profitability"
* Potash Corp - investments in Arab potash company, Israel Chemicals Ltd, Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile S.A contributed $51 million to Q2 earnings
* Potash - "in nitrogen, we expect recent capacity additions to continue to pressure prices and alter trade flows, keeping margins below those of 2016"