CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Sets New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $121.33 and last traded at $121.02, with a volume of 2449716 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $115.78.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CF has been the topic of several analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on CF Industries from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. HSBC cut their target price on CF Industries from $95.00 to $91.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on CF Industries from $80.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Scotiabank raised their target price on shares of CF Industries from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $96.87.

CF Industries Stock Up 2.9%

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 has a 50-day simple moving average of $91.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $86.38. The company has a market cap of $18.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.24 and a beta of 0.68.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 2,766 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.36, for a total value of $291,425.76. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 22,827 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,405,052.72. This represents a 10.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 3,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.09, for a total value of $415,236.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 81,003 shares in the company, valued at $8,593,608.27. The trade was a 4.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 9,895 shares of company stock worth $1,018,517. Corporate insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in CF Industries by 78.0% during the 3rd 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. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of CF Industries by 396.2% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Eastern Bank bought a new position in shares of CF Industries during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Peterson Wealth Services increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 361 shares during the period. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in CF Industries during the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

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.