Feb 4 (Reuters) - Bunge on Wednesday forecast current-year adjusted profit below analysts' expectations, as volatile commodity markets and tighter margins hurt the global grain trader.
A slump in grain
prices, weak crop-processing margins and geopolitical tensions have eroded profitability in the sector, affecting Bunge and peers such as ADM and Cargill.
Bunge executives had flagged in November last year that uncertainty over trade and biofuels policy will be a drag on fourth-quarter earnings as farmers selling crops to the company and customers buying its products have been reluctant to book deals beyond the near-term.
Last month, Reuters reported that the Trump administration plans to finalize 2026 biofuel blending quotas by early March. The quotas were originally expected in late October 2025.
The delay has pushed one of the administration's most consequential energy policy choices into 2026. Without clarity on quotas, companies said they were forced to hold back on deals and spending decisions that shape output and margins.
Rival grain trader Archer-Daniels-Midland, whose operations are more concentrated in the U.S., forecast 2026 adjusted profit below analysts' expectations on Tuesday due to the deferral of U.S. biofuel policy.
Bunge reported adjusted earnings of $1.99 per share for the quarter ended December 31, down from $2.13 a share a year earlier, but above the consensus analyst estimate of $1.81 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG.
The Missouri-based company expects 2026 adjusted earnings per share between $7.50 and $8.00, compared with Wall Street expectations of $8.71.
(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
