CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Upgraded to Buy at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded CF Industries from a "hold" to a "buy," a move that helped push the stock higher in recent trading.
• CF reported an earnings beat (EPS $2.59 vs $2.53) and revenue rose 22.8% year-over-year, with a 20.54% net margin and ~19.8% ROE, supporting several analysts' higher price targets.
• Despite some bullish revisions (UBS $140, RBC $125), the MarketBeat consensus remains a "Hold" with a $112.27 target, and the stock faces risks from Persian Gulf geopolitical developments and recent insider selling (82,408 shares over 90 days).

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $72.00 price objective on shares of CF Industries in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $97.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, March 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, CF Industries currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $112.27.

CF Industries Stock Up 1.6%

CF opened at $121.27 on Friday. CF Industries has a twelve month low of $69.02 and a twelve month high of $141.96. The company has a quick ratio of 2.93, a current ratio of 3.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $112.09 and a 200 day moving average price of $93.44. The company has a market cap of $18.63 billion, a PE ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 0.52.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly 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 firm had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 19.84%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.89 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that CF Industries will post 5.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total value of $756,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 69,472 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,753,472. This represents a 7.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 18,041 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $136.06, for a total transaction of $2,454,658.46. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 55,762 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $7,586,977.72. This trade represents a 24.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 82,408 shares of company stock worth $9,971,298. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of CF Industries

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of CF Industries by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,647 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $20,868,000 after purchasing an additional 23,942 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of CF Industries by 878.2% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 17,941 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,609,000 after purchasing an additional 16,107 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of CF Industries by 19.8% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 369,321 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $33,128,000 after purchasing an additional 61,140 shares during the period. Inspire Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $677,000. Finally, AIA Group Ltd purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $376,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company's stock.

More CF Industries News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights that CF has outperformed many peers in the basic materials sector year-to-date, reinforcing momentum arguments for investors who favor relative strength. Is CF Industries (CF) Outperforming Other Basic Materials Stocks This Year?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks also flags CF's strong earnings-surprise history and the underlying indicators that make a repeat beat likely, supporting near-term upside if fundamentals stay intact. Will CF (CF) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?
• Positive Sentiment: Royal Bank of Canada (reported by AmericanBankingNews) projects strong price appreciation for CF, which can support momentum and lift investor sentiment. Royal Bank Of Canada Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for CF Industries NYSE: CF Stock
• Positive Sentiment: CF moved higher after an analyst upgrade that drove a notable intraday gain, showing how revisions and upgrades are a near-term bullish driver. CF Industries NYSE: CF Stock Price Up 5.3% Following Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on CF’s changing valuation narrative notes investors are re-rating the stock as consensus estimates and risk assumptions evolve — useful context but not an immediate directional catalyst by itself. How The Evolving Narrative Around CF Industries (CF) Is Reshaping Valuation Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets report that a US‑Iran cease-fire / reduced Persian Gulf disruption could erode CF’s competitive edge (cheaper feedstock/price spreads), raising medium-term risk to margins. Has CF stock topped out? How US-Iran ceasefire erodes key competitive edge for fertilizer maker
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage links Persian Gulf geopolitics to a reshaped risk profile for CF’s nitrogen business, signaling higher volatility for earnings assumptions tied to regional supply disruptions. Does Persian Gulf Geopolitics Reshape the Risk Profile at CF Industries’ Nitrogen Business (CF)?
• Negative Sentiment: Newsflow shows headline-driven selling: CF was among the day’s biggest decliners on one session after the cease-fire headlines and sector weakness. CF Industries, one of this year's star stocks, among day's biggest decliners
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ and Yahoo coverage link the cease-fire and lower Persian Gulf disruption to a slide in fertilizer stocks, underlining sector risk that can pressure CF’s valuation multiple. Cease-Fire Sparks Slide in CF Industries, Fertilizer Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Prominent trader coverage shows at least one public sell call (Joe Terranova), a reminder that high-profile selling can amplify short‑term volatility. Trade Tracker: Joe Terranova sells CF Industries
• Negative Sentiment: Additional commodity/market pieces on Persian Gulf disruption and cease‑fire effects reiterate downside risk to margins and explain recent intraday swings. Persian Gulf Disruption And Cease Fire Shape CF Industries Outlook

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.