CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Stock Price Expected to Rise, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Analyst Says

Key Points

• JPMorgan raised its price target on CF Industries from $94 to $115, while keeping a neutral rating on the stock. The new target implies only slight upside from the prior close.
• CF Industries reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $3.98 versus $2.63 expected and revenue of $1.99 billion versus $1.84 billion expected. Revenue also rose 19.4% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed overall, with MarketBeat showing a Hold consensus and an average target price of $119.00. Meanwhile, several other firms recently adjusted their targets, reflecting ongoing debate about the stock’s valuation.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $94.00 to $115.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a "neutral" rating on the basic materials company's stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s target price points to a potential upside of 0.81% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $95.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane lifted their price objective on CF Industries from $95.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on CF Industries from $132.00 to $133.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, CF Industries currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $119.00.

CF Industries Price Performance

Shares of CF stock opened at $114.08 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $123.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $101.89. The company has a current ratio of 3.54, a quick ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. CF Industries has a 12 month low of $75.42 and a 12 month high of $141.96. The company has a market capitalization of $17.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.25 and a beta of 0.38.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported $3.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.63 by $1.35. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.84 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 20.93% and a net margin of 23.73%.CF Industries's quarterly revenue was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.85 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that CF Industries will post 15.12 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at CF Industries

In other news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 6,184 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.33, for a total transaction of $676,096.72. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 34,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,775,711.55. The trade was a 15.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $119.01, for a total value of $1,190,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 87,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,384,336.56. This represents a 10.28% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 72,513 shares of company stock worth $8,952,781. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted 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 valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services boosted its stake in CF Industries by 451.3% in the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries during the 3rd quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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