CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Shares Gap Up – Here’s What Happened

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $120.13, but opened at $128.02. CF Industries shares last traded at $132.6030, with a volume of 3,237,700 shares traded.

More CF Industries News

Here are the key news stories impacting CF Industries this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Supply disruption & price tailwind — Escalation in the Middle East has tightened global nitrogen/urea supply, sending fertilizer prices higher and underpinning CF’s revenue outlook; the stock has rallied sharply YTD on that dynamic. CF Industries Is Up 76% and Fertilizer Supply Is Why
• Positive Sentiment: Record highs driven by geopolitical risk — Coverage notes CF shares hit all-time highs as Iran/war-related risks raise concerns about shipments through choke points (e.g., Strait of Hormuz), supporting higher fertilizer spreads and margins. CF Industries Shares Hit Record High on Risks From Iran War
• Positive Sentiment: Sector-wide rally — Industry reporting highlights fertilizer stocks jumping as shipments are delayed at the Strait of Hormuz, amplifying price moves that benefit CF as a leading ammonia producer. Fertilizer Stocks Jump With Shipments Stuck at the Strait of Hormuz
• Positive Sentiment: Technical/estimate momentum — CF saw a recent one-day surge with above-average volume and upward earnings-estimate revisions noted by market analysts, which can fuel near-term momentum. CF (CF) Surges 13.2%: Is This an Indication of Further Gains?
• Neutral Sentiment: Market coverage & watchlists — Multiple outlets and stock roundups have included CF among top names to watch on the fertilizer rally; useful for sentiment but not new company-specific fundamentals. 3 US Stocks To Watch In Late March 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Leaderboard performance — Roundups show CF near the top of S&P movers as fertilizer prices surge, reflecting market positioning rather than fresh operational news. CF Industries, Mosaic top S&P leaderboard as Iran war sends fertilizer prices soaring
• Negative Sentiment: Political/regulatory risk — A U.S. senator has publicly accused CF of price gouging as urea prices jumped (~32%), introducing reputational and potential regulatory scrutiny that could pressure the stock. Senator Hawley accuses CF Industries of price gouging as urea surges 32%
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking & volatility risk — After the rapid multi-week rally, the stock is pulling back today as investors lock in gains; elevated volume increases short-term volatility risk for traders and lessens conviction for some longer-term buyers.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on CF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on CF Industries from $80.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price target on CF Industries from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of CF Industries in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $96.87.

CF Industries Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $19.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.40 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $95.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $87.60.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 19.84%. The company’s revenue was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is 22.22%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 18,041 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.06, for a total value of $2,454,658.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 55,762 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,586,977.72. This represents a 24.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 6,184 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.33, for a total value of $676,096.72. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 34,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,775,711.55. The trade was a 15.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 71,409 shares of company stock worth $8,589,559. 0.42% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Lakewood Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in CF Industries by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Lakewood Asset Management LLC now owns 12,371 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $957,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in CF Industries by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $183,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in shares of CF Industries by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 17,528 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,356,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of CF Industries by 78.0% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 4.9% during the 3rd quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. 93.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About CF Industries

CF Industries Holdings, Inc is a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products for agricultural and industrial customers. The company specializes in the production of ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, which serve as key inputs for fertilizer blends, industrial chemicals and other downstream applications.

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, CF Industries operates production facilities and distribution terminals across North America and the United Kingdom.