CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Stock Rated "Hold" by Sell-Side Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst consensus is “Hold”: Of 23 analysts covering CF Industries, 12 recommend holding, six recommend buying, two strongly recommend buying, and three recommend selling. The average 12-month price target is $121.89.
• Recent earnings missed expectations: CF Industries reported quarterly EPS of $4.73 versus the $5.63 consensus estimate, while revenue of $2.22 billion fell short of the $2.45 billion forecast, despite 17.6% year-over-year revenue growth.
• Investors receive a 2% dividend yield: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, equivalent to $2.40 annually, with a payout ratio of 17.79%. Institutional investors own approximately 93.06% of the stock.

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Hold" by the twenty-three research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twelve have assigned a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and two have assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $121.89.

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of CF Industries from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a "sector perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce increased their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $125.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Finally, UBS Group set a $133.00 target price on CF Industries in a report on Friday.

Institutional Trading of CF Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in CF Industries by 3,396.4% during the third quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 106,221 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $13,408,000 after buying an additional 103,183 shares in the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. raised its position in CF Industries by 218.7% in the third quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. now owns 1,058 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $130,000 after acquiring an additional 726 shares in the last quarter. Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. raised its position in CF Industries by 13.2% in the third quarter. Total Wealth Planning & Management Inc. now owns 4,956 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $571,000 after acquiring an additional 576 shares in the last quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its position in CF Industries by 798.2% in the third quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 4,518 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $567,000 after acquiring an additional 4,015 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Invested Advisors acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at about $203,000. Institutional investors own 93.06% of the company's stock.

CF Industries Price Performance

Shares of CF opened at $120.65 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a current ratio of 4.86. CF Industries has a one year low of $75.42 and a one year high of $141.96. The stock's fifty day moving average is $123.74 and its 200-day moving average is $119.87.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $4.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90). The company had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 24.41%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.37 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that CF Industries will post 13.90 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be given a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.79%.

About CF Industries

CF Industries Holdings, Inc is a global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products. The company produces ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid, which are used primarily in agricultural fertilizers and a range of industrial applications. CF Industries also supplies products such as diesel exhaust fluid and other nitrogen-based solutions.

The company serves agricultural and industrial customers in North America and internationally. Its manufacturing and distribution operations include facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, supported by an extensive logistics and distribution network.

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