234,618 CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF Shares Purchased by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Key Points

• Sterling Capital Management increased its CF Industries position by 736.2%, purchasing 234,618 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 266,488 shares valued at approximately $33.4 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with CF receiving an average “Hold” rating and an average price target of $121.89. Recent targets ranged from $115 to $162.
• CF Industries reported quarterly EPS of $4.73, below the $5.63 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 17.6% year over year to $2.22 billion. The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, representing a 2.0% annualized yield.

Sterling Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) by 736.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 266,488 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 234,618 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC owned approximately 0.18% of CF Industries worth $33,426,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CF. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 3.7% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,360 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. Eley Financial Management Inc grew its position in shares of CF Industries by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Eley Financial Management Inc now owns 13,764 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,787,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the period. Personal CFO Solutions LLC increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 8,176 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,062,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in CF Industries by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,496 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $194,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd raised its holdings in CF Industries by 36.6% in the 1st quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd now owns 418 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on CF Industries from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. KeyCorp began coverage on CF Industries in a research report on Thursday, September 10th. They set an "underweight" rating and a $115.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of CF Industries in a research note on Friday, September 25th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $162.00 price target on the stock. Finally, set a $115.00 price target on shares of CF Industries and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $121.89.

CF Industries Price Performance

CF stock traded up $2.09 during trading on Friday, hitting $120.65. The stock had a trading volume of 2,034,704 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,460,938. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 4.86 and a quick ratio of 4.32. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.42 and a twelve month high of $141.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.94, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.53. The company's 50-day moving average price is $123.74 and its two-hundred day moving average price 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 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90). The firm had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.45 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 24.41%. CF Industries's revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.37 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 30th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio is currently 17.79%.

CF Industries Company Profile

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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