Agritech Stocks on the Rise: A Look at KWS Saat, MustGrow Biologics, and Bucher Industries!

Bucher Industries: Swiss Precision for Farmers

When it comes to high-quality European stocks in the agricultural technology and sophisticated industrial machinery sectors, there is hardly a way around Bucher Industries. The company, listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, is one of the most long-established companies in Switzerland. Value investors appreciate the company for its solidity, market leadership, and shareholder-friendly dividend policy.

However, the Swiss company also exhibits a certain degree of cyclicality, as the latest quarterly figures clearly demonstrate. At the end of April, Bucher Industries reported an 8.9% decline in order intake between January and March, down to CHF 643 million. Net revenue also fell by 7.3% to CHF 725 million. The Kuhn Group agricultural technology division was particularly affected, experiencing a significant decline in order intake (-27.4% in nominal terms) following a strong pre-order season. In contrast, the Municipal (waste management and winter service equipment) and Hydraulics segments stood out positively. Nevertheless, Bucher sits on a comfortable order backlog totalling over CHF 1 billion. Management has confirmed its full-year 2026 forecast and expects stable revenue and operating profit margins on a comparable basis.

In the Agritech sector, Bucher is fully committed to smart farming. The Kuhn Group is investing heavily in sensor- and software-based systems. Precision agriculture allows fertilizer to be applied with centimetre-level accuracy, saving farmers money and benefiting the environment.

Bucher Industries' stock has lost about 23% over the past year; value stocks are simply not "in" on the stock market right now. The dividend for the 2025 financial year was maintained at CHF 11.00 per share. Additionally, a share buyback program was successfully completed, reducing the number of treasury shares by 410,000 and resulting in a total value of approximately CHF 155 million. Since the shares were cancelled pursuant to an AGM resolution, EPS will thus increase mathematically in the future. The stock is currently attractive for long-term investors. Over a 5-year horizon, the share has reached the lower end of a trading range at CHF 300. Long-term investors can take advantage of this opportunity.

MustGrow Biologics: There Is Another Way Besides the Pesticide Cocktail

Whether strawberries, grapes, apples, or peaches, many of the foods that end up on our tables are treated with significant amounts of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides. In some cases, such as strawberries, entire combinations of pesticides are used. Sometimes the goal is to prevent cosmetic imperfections; often it is to protect crops from pests and disease. At the same time, agricultural yields must continue to rise in light of global population growth, especially as more agricultural land comes under pressure from overuse, degradation, and pollution.

MustGrow Biologics aims to demonstrate that this trade-off can be resolved. The Canadian company has developed technologies designed to both protect crops and improve soil health. Its approach is based on the mustard plant. Researchers have succeeded in extracting the plant's active compounds from mustard seeds and formulating them into a wettable powder and stable liquid product. These solutions can be applied directly through farmers' existing irrigation and spray systems. The potential advantages are significant. Unlike many biological crop protection products, which are often perceived as less effective, MustGrow's solutions have delivered efficacy levels in laboratory testing and large-scale field trials that are comparable to those of conventional chemical treatments.

Bayer on Board

Bayer AG has also taken note of this progress and secured a commercialization license from the Canadian micro-cap company for the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa). The agricultural division of the DAX-listed company will also handle the often lengthy and expensive approval processes. In addition, MustGrow stands to receive so-called upfront and milestone payments from the Leverkusen-based firm once certain market approval targets are met. Once the products are actually delivered to farmers, MustGrow will then also earn royalty fees. This gives the company significant leverage to potentially generate high margins in the future. Analysts project the biological crop protection market to grow to over USD 20 billion by 2033. There is therefore ample room for growth for MustGrow's products. Furthermore, the company has a long-standing partnership with the Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo to test, develop, and distribute MustGrow's mustard-derived agricultural technologies across North, Central, and South American markets.

Currently, MustGrow Biologics' contract manufacturers in Asia are working to scale up production from small batches to large-scale series. MustGrow could take off as early as the second half of the year. The transition is necessary because sales already rose by several hundred percent last year. The company is currently bolstering its financial position once again to support this growth, seeking to raise CAD 2 million through a LIFE Offering priced at CAD 0.50 per unit. Each unit includes one common share purchase warrant exercisable at CAD 0.70. With a market capitalization of around CAD 30 million, MustGrow is among the micro-caps in the agritech sector. However, with its mustard-derived technology and strong partners such as Bayer and Sumitomo, this could become a major stock market success story in the coming years.

KWS Saat: The German Hidden Champion

Boring, but solid! That sums up the KWS Saat stock. The Einbeck-based company is one of the world's leading plant breeders and is demonstrating remarkable operational resilience in a challenging market environment. The trend shows that high-tech seeds remain indispensable if farmers want to increase yields.

In mid-May, KWS Saat published its latest quarterly figures for Q3 (split fiscal year). The Lower Saxony-based company delivered a strong performance in the crucial spring business. Revenue climbed slightly to EUR 1.35 billion (+2.6%). Due to special items (sale of licensing rights), EBITDA rose significantly to EUR 386.8 million (previous year: EUR 360.8 million). The bottom line was earnings per share of EUR 6.67 in the first nine months (previously EUR 6.15). Management has confirmed the outlook for 2025/2026. Revenue is expected to remain stable with an EBITDA margin between 19% and 21%. KWS Saat will continue to benefit from climate change and disease resistance due to its innovative strength. Extreme weather events and new pests are the industry's biggest challenges. In the short term, the sale of the North American corn business has shifted the focus more toward margins.

Since hitting a low in mid-2023, KWS Saat's stock has risen by more than 60%. The share is supported in part by rising dividends—most recently up 25% to EUR 1.25 per share. In volatile market conditions, KWS is a defensive option for a long-term investment portfolio.

Bucher Industries stock is cyclical and is currently suffering from buyer reluctance. However, the Swiss company currently presents an attractive technical chart pattern. MustGrow Biologics could soon take off with its sustainable innovations in the agritech sector. Partnerships with Bayer and Sumitomo bolster confidence in the business model. At KWS Saat, solidity is the order of the day. The stock has risen sharply in recent years; a pullback would be attractive.