CF Industries (NYSE:CF) EVP Susan Menzel Sells 7,200 Shares

Key Points

• EVP Susan Menzel sold 7,200 shares on March 5 at an average price of $111 for about $799,200, reducing her holding by 8.89% to 73,803 shares (SEC filing).
• CF shares fell about 4.0% to $111.13 on heavy volume (10.26M vs. a 3.04M average), suggesting elevated trading activity around the news.
• CF reported an EPS beat ($2.59 vs. $2.53 est.) and 22.8% YoY revenue growth; the company pays a $0.50 quarterly dividend (1.8% yield) while analysts hold a consensus "Hold" with a $96.87 target.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) EVP Susan Menzel sold 7,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.00, for a total value of $799,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 73,803 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,192,133. This trade represents a 8.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

CF Industries Stock Down 4.0%

Shares of CF Industries stock traded down $4.65 during trading on Monday, reaching $111.13. The stock had a trading volume of 10,262,451 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,039,842. The company has a market capitalization of $17.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.35 and a beta of 0.68. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $91.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $86.38. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $67.34 and a 52 week high of $121.80. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The business had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. CF Industries's quarterly revenue was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 13th. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CF has been the subject of several recent research reports. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $72.00 target price on shares of CF Industries in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Scotiabank boosted their price target on shares of CF Industries from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on CF Industries from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Barclays upped their target price on CF Industries from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One 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 data from MarketBeat, CF Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $96.87.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CF. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 78.0% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 292 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in CF Industries by 396.2% during the third 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 CF Industries during the third quarter worth about $35,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in CF Industries by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services increased its position in CF Industries by 451.3% during the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. 93.06% of the stock is currently 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.

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