CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• CF Industries has a consensus analyst rating of "Hold" from 20 brokerage firms, with an average 1-year price target of $117.25.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share from $0.50, putting the annualized payout at $2.40 and the dividend yield at about 2.0%.
• CF Industries stock was up 0.9% in the session, opening at $118.84, while recent analyst updates have been mixed with both price target increases and cuts.

Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) have earned a consensus rating of "Hold" from the twenty ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have given a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $117.25.

A number of research firms have commented on CF. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, June 15th. 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 report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce boosted their price target on CF Industries from $118.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Freedom Capital raised CF Industries from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on CF Industries from $140.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th.

CF Industries Stock Up 0.9%

CF stock opened at $118.84 on Friday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $114.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $109.20. CF Industries has a 12 month low of $75.42 and a 12 month high of $141.96. The company has a market cap of $18.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 3.54 and a quick ratio of 3.15.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced 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 of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is an increase 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 2.0%. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio is presently 17.97%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CF. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new position in CF Industries during the 1st quarter worth $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 46.3% in the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the third quarter valued at about $42,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CF Industries during the fourth quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 69.8% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. 93.06% of the stock is currently 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.

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