FMC Corporation FMC posted a profit (on a reported basis) of $75 million or 56 cents per share in second-quarter 2017 as compared with $65 million or 49 cents per share a year ago.Barring one-time items, earnings came in at 48 cents per share in the quarter, narrowly exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 47 cents. The company’s adjusted earnings for the reported quarter exclude around 24 cents attributable to the reporting of the Health & Nutrition unit in discontinued operations.The chemical maker’s revenues rose roughly 7% year over year to $657 million in the reported quarter. Sales also beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $612 million.FMC Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise FMC Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | FMC Corporation QuoteSegment ReviewRevenues from the Agricultural Solutions division rose around 6% year over year to $583 million in the quarter with 10% increase in volume partly offset by 4% decline in price. Segment profits were $96 million, down 5% year over year, impacted by price and geographic mix shift.Revenues from the Lithium unit went up 17% to $74 million. Segment earnings grew 47% year over year to $24 million, aided by higher prices and improved mix that were partly offset by increased costs.Balance SheetFMC Corp. ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $113.2 million, up around 21% year over year. Long-term debt was $1,592.3 million, down around 20% year over year.OutlookFMC Corp. sees adjusted earnings in the band of $2.30 to $2.50 per share for 2017.For the Agricultural Solutions unit, FMC Corp. continues to expect revenues in the range of $2.3−$2.4 billion for 2017. Segment earnings for the year are expected to be in the band of $415 million to $445 million. Earnings for third-quarter 2017 have been projected in the range of $100−$120 million, reflecting an increase of around 22% at the mid-point compared with the prior-year quarter.FMC Corp. now sees revenues in the range of $340−$360 million (up from $325−$365 million expected earlier) for the Lithium unit for 2017. Segment earnings are forecasted to be in the band of $115 to $125 million (up from $100 to $120 million expected earlier) for the full year. For the third quarter, earnings are expected to be in the range of $30−$35 million, reflecting an increase of around 85% at the mid-point compared with the prior-year quarter.Price PerformanceFMC Corp. has outperformed the industry over the last three months. The company’s shares have moved up 8.5% over this period compared with the industry’s gain of 4.2%.Zacks Rank & Key PicksFMC Corp. currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).Some better-ranked companies in the basic materials space include Akzo Nobel N.V. AKZOY, Arkema S.A. ARKAY and Hitachi Chemical HCHMY. All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Akzo Nobel has an expected long-term earnings growth of 11.1%.Arkema has an expected long-term earnings growth of 12.4%.Hitachi Chemical has an expected long-term earnings growth of 5%.More Stock News: Tech Opportunity Worth $386 Billion in 2017From driverless cars to artificial intelligence, we've seen an unsurpassed growth of high-tech products in recent months. Yesterday's science-fiction is becoming today's reality. Despite all the innovation, there is a single component no tech company can survive without. Demand for this critical device will reach $387 billion this year alone, and it's likely to grow even faster in the future.Zacks has released a brand-new Special Report to help you take advantage of this exciting investment opportunity. Most importantly, it reveals 4 stocks with massive profit potential. See these stocks now>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report FMC Corporation (FMC): Free Stock Analysis Report Arkema SA (ARKAY): Free Stock Analysis Report Akzo Nobel NV (AKZOY): Free Stock Analysis Report HITACHI CHEMICL (HCHMY): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research