CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Trading 6.6% Higher – What’s Next?

Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) rose 6.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $129.18 and last traded at $126.8590. Approximately 415,607 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 3,391,676 shares. The stock had previously closed at $119.02.

Key CF Industries News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its Q3 2026 EPS estimate to $4.08 from $3.69, lifted Q1 2027 EPS to $2.63 from $1.49, and increased its Q4 2027 forecast to $2.82 from $2.20. These revisions indicate improved expectations for near- to medium-term profitability.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also raised its Q3 2027 estimate to $2.54 from $2.40 and its Q1 2028 estimate to $1.95 from $1.83, providing additional support for the bullish near-term reaction.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks continues to rate CF Industries “Hold,” while the current consensus estimate remains $13.85 in EPS. The company’s recent operating backdrop includes year-over-year revenue growth, but its latest reported quarter missed analysts’ earnings and revenue expectations.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its FY2026 EPS estimate to $14.94 from $15.56 and cut its FY2028 forecast to $7.06 from $7.69. It also reduced Q4 2026 EPS to $3.24 from $3.40 and Q2 2028 EPS to $1.83 from $2.02, signaling some concern about earnings momentum beyond the stronger forecast quarters.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Wall Street Zen cut CF Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Scotiabank increased their price target on CF Industries from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on CF Industries from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, CF Industries has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.56.

CF Industries Stock Up 3.3%

The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $115.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $115.67. The firm has a market cap of $19.64 billion, a PE ratio of 9.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 4.86 and a quick ratio of 4.32.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $4.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $5.63 by ($0.90). CF Industries had a return on equity of 24.41% and a net margin of 27.12%.The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.37 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from CF Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 17.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CF. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the first quarter worth approximately $25,000. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the second quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in CF Industries by 46.3% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.