Analysts Set CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Price Target at $118.53

Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) have earned an average recommendation of “Hold” from the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, nine have given a hold recommendation, four have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $118.5333.

Several research firms have commented on CF. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $95.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Zacks Research raised shares of CF Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 18th.

CF Industries Trading Up 1.8%

CF stock opened at $128.16 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $120.30 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.95. CF Industries has a fifty-two week low of $75.42 and a fifty-two week high of $141.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a current ratio of 3.37. The firm has a market cap of $19.69 billion, a PE ratio of 14.24 and a beta of 0.42.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its earnings results 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. CF Industries had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 19.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. CF Industries’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CF Industries will post 13.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 15th. CF Industries’s payout ratio is presently 22.22%.

Insider Activity

In other CF Industries news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 10,000 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.01, for a total transaction of $1,190,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 87,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,384,336.56. The trade was a 10.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 3,666 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.50, for a total transaction of $427,089.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,232,256.50. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 82,408 shares of company stock valued at $9,971,298 over the last ninety days. 0.51% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of CF Industries

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 396.2% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the third quarter valued at $35,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 451.3% during the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the period. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the third quarter valued at $41,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key CF Industries News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Nitrogen price surge — Elevated nitrogen prices are being reported across the industry and are expected to boost CF’s earnings and margins, supporting a better-than-expected outlook for the fertilizer cycle. Nitrogen price surge set to boost CF and Nutrien earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst pre-earnings bullishness — Zacks and other commentary note rising earnings estimates, strong nitrogen demand and pricing tailwinds into the Q1 report, which supports upside to consensus. Is CF Industries Stock a Smart Buy Before Q1 Earnings Release?
• Positive Sentiment: CFO appointment reduces near-term leadership uncertainty — CF announced Andrew T. Scribner will become EVP and CFO effective May 26. The formal, board-approved hire (an experienced finance executive) is likely viewed as a governance positive and removes ambiguity around finance leadership ahead of the earnings release. Andrew T. Scribner Elected Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming Q1 earnings create event risk/opportunity — CF is scheduled to release quarterly results this week; the report and management commentary will be the immediate catalyst for any sustained move. Investors should watch realized nitrogen pricing, volumes, and guidance. CF Industries (CF) to Release Earnings on Wednesday

CF Industries Company Profile

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.