Vale Setbacks Cause AnalystsTo Question Viability

Reuters reported since Murilo Ferreira replaced Roger Agnelli as CEO, a series of setbacks have raised questions about Vale’s (SAO:VALE5) ability to increase sales and profit from iron ore.

As quoted in the market news:

Costs are soaring, new mines are behind schedule and growth in China, Vale’s largest market, is slowing. The price of iron ore, responsible for nearly three-quarters of the Rio de Janeiro-based company’s sales, recently sank to three-year lows.

Making matters worse, Brazilian laws and government interference threaten to hobble Vale, the country’s biggest exporter. Vale shipped $42 billion of raw materials in 2011, 16 percent of exports from the world’s sixth-largest economy.

Click here to read the full Reuters report.