CF Industries (NYSE:CF) VP Sells $438,704.62 in Stock

Key Points

• CF Industries VP Richard Hoker sold 3,499 shares on March 17 at an average of $125.38 for $438,704.62, trimming his position by 10.13% to 31,036 shares (worth about $3.89M); the sale was disclosed in an SEC filing.
• Shares traded down 1.2% to $125.15 on heavy volume; the company has a $19.23B market cap, a 13.91 P/E, and recently reported an earnings beat (Q EPS $2.59 vs. $2.53) with revenue up 22.8% year‑over‑year.
• Near‑term outlook is mixed: higher fertilizer prices from geopolitical supply concerns and analyst upgrades (e.g., BMO $140, CIBC $118) support upside, while insider selling, a Mizuho downgrade and regulatory/antitrust risks add downside and volatility risk.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) VP Richard Hoker sold 3,499 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.38, for a total transaction of $438,704.62. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 31,036 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,891,293.68. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

CF Industries Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of CF stock traded down $1.58 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $125.15. 6,480,449 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,759,943. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.91 and a beta of 0.68. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $67.34 and a one year high of $137.44. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $98.46 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $88.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a current ratio of 3.37.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The firm had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.89 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 13th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.22%.

Key Stories Impacting CF Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical supply disruption (Strait of Hormuz) is lifting global fertilizer prices, which benefits CF as a domestic, low‑cost nitrogen producer. Not Just Oil: 3 Fertilizer Stocks Boosted by Hormuz Closure (CF)
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary tying tighter global nitrogen supply to higher urea/ammonia pricing has already lifted CF shares in recent sessions, reinforcing upside on improving fertilizer spreads. CF Industries climbs 3.7% as markets price in tighter global nitrogen supply
• Positive Sentiment: BMO raised its price target to $140 and kept an outperform stance, a bullish analyst signal that supports upside expectations. BMO raises CF price target to $140
• Positive Sentiment: CIBC lifted its price target to $118, another incremental analyst upgrade that narrows downside concerns. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Increases CF Industries Price Target to $118
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America expects a fertilizer rally to boost earnings industry‑wide but warns benefits will be uneven across names — mixed implications for CF depending on how pricing and production evolve. BofA sees fertilizer rally lifting earnings, but not all stocks benefit equally
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes (e.g., Barron's) emphasize the recent surge but warn upside may be limited once shipping/disruption signals fade — suggests gains could be event‑driven and temporary. CF Industries Stock Has Surged on the Iran War. Analysts See Limited Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price targets are highly dispersed (roughly ~$85–$150), reflecting disagreement on duration of the price rally and adding volatility risk. QuiverQuant roundup of CF opinions
• Negative Sentiment: Mizuho downgraded CF (reaffirmed Underperform) saying the rally may have peaked — that analyst call is a clear headwind for sentiment and can pressure the stock. CF Industries stock falls after Mizuho downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Extensive insider selling (multiple executives selling large blocks) and a reported shares gap down after the selling have raised profit‑taking and governance concerns among investors. CF Industries Shares Gap Down After Insider Selling
• Negative Sentiment: Ongoing regulatory and antitrust attention (DOJ probes, congressional inquiries cited in market discussion) increases litigation/regulatory risk that could cap multiple expansion. QuiverQuant: opinions on supply disruptions and regulatory risk

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. State Street Corp increased its stake in CF Industries by 2.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,982,072 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $734,351,000 after buying an additional 165,833 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 10.6% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,013,846 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $449,742,000 after buying an additional 480,126 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 37.6% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,312,225 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $333,501,000 after acquiring an additional 1,178,516 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 15.3% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,587,999 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $321,852,000 after acquiring an additional 476,769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 12.0% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,570,249 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $276,123,000 after acquiring an additional 381,716 shares during the last quarter. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho reiterated an "underperform" rating and set a $100.00 price objective (up from $95.00) on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Wednesday. HSBC lowered 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. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce boosted their price target on CF Industries from $100.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday. UBS Group increased their price target on CF Industries from $86.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CF Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $101.73.

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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