U.S. Markets, Feb. 18-22

The S&P 500’s seven-week winning streak ground to a halt, with the benchmark index falling 0.1% to 1,515.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged 0.1% higher to finish at 14,000.57, and the Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index lost 5.27% to 136.31.

Despite posting a net profit in the fourth quarter of $354 million at $2.34 per share — compared with $193 million at $1.20 per share in the year-earlier quarter, and sales that were up 3% to $3.26 billion — shares of Agrium dropped US$5.78 to US$101.13. The fertilizer giant is facing a proxy contest with Jana Partners, its biggest shareholder, which wants to separate Agrium’s farm retail and wholesale fertilizer production.

Shares of BHP Billiton were down US$4.72 to US$64.44 per share after it reported a 43% drop in profit to US$5.68 billion for the first six months of the year — the worst drop in profit in more than a decade — and took US$3 billion in writedowns on its aluminum and nickel assets. The global miner also became the latest company to need a new CEO. Outgoing CEO Marius Kloppers is being replaced by Andrew Mackenzie, BHP’s head of non-ferrous business. Before joining the mining industry Mackenzie worked in oil and gas at BP for 22 years.

A US$71-million (US$1.13 per share) net loss in the fourth quarter, compared with a year-earlier profit of US$80.3 million at US$1.29 per share, sent shares of metallurgical and thermal coal miner Walter Energy tumbling US$4.67 to US$33.25. Ailing prices for metallurgical coal and weak demand from China torpedoed the company’s revenues, which fell to US$479 million from US$703 million in the year-earlier quarter. Walter Energy is also facing a proxy challenge from hedge fund Audley Capital Advisors.

Lower production and higher costs ate into Newmont Mining’s fourth-quarter profits. Earnings for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2012, reached US$552 million at US$1.11 per share, compared with US$577 million at US$1.17 per share in the fourth quarter of 2011. Net income was US$673 million, compared with a loss of US$1.02 billion in the year-ago quarter. The stock closed US$2.45-per-share lower at US$40.82.