Aberdeen Group plc Has $6.19 Million Stock Holdings in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• Aberdeen Group cut its stake in CF Industries by 16.6% to 80,027 shares, valued at about $6.19 million, while institutional investors collectively own roughly 93.06% of the company.
• Insiders sold 82,408 shares totaling about $9.97 million in the last quarter (including VP Richard Hoker and SVP Michael McGrane), leaving insiders with just 0.42% ownership.
• CF beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.59 vs. $2.53; revenue $1.87B, up 22.8%), and pays a $0.50 quarterly dividend (annual $2.00, yield 1.6%), but shares fell about 6% amid easing Persian Gulf supply‑risk headlines even as several analysts raised price targets (consensus target ~$112.27; Morgan Stanley to $135).

Aberdeen Group plc decreased its stake in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) by 16.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 80,027 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 15,925 shares during the period. Aberdeen Group plc owned 0.05% of CF Industries worth $6,189,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in CF. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CF Industries during the 2nd quarter worth about $96,560,000. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec increased its stake in CF Industries by 52.4% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 1,775,106 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $159,227,000 after purchasing an additional 610,259 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in CF Industries by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 3,133,709 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $281,104,000 after purchasing an additional 568,710 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management increased its stake in CF Industries by 106.3% during the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 1,053,802 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $94,526,000 after purchasing an additional 543,070 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in 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 worth $449,742,000 after acquiring an additional 480,126 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.06% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CF Industries news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 6,184 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.33, for a total transaction of $676,096.72. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 34,535 shares in the company, valued at $3,775,711.55. This represents a 15.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 3,666 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.50, for a total transaction of $427,089.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,161 shares in the company, valued at $2,232,256.50. The trade was a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold 82,408 shares of company stock worth $9,971,298 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.42% of the company's stock.

CF Industries Trading Down 6.0%

Shares of CF Industries stock opened at $125.81 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $93.01. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $67.49 and a 1 year high of $141.96. The company has a market capitalization of $19.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 3.37 and a quick ratio of 2.93.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. Research analysts forecast that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.22%.

Key Stories Impacting CF Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research note CF’s strong cash‑flow generation, which supports growth investments and shareholder returns and underpins the company's longer‑term fundamentals. CF's Cash Flow Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $135 (from $95) — signaling improved mid‑cycle valuation support even as it retains an “equal weight” view. This lends some upside reference for investors. Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC also raised its target to $125 (from $100) but kept a “sector perform” rating, reflecting mixed analyst views — supportive of valuation but not a strong buy signal. RBC Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume was observed in CF, indicating elevated positioning and the potential for amplified intraday moves as traders hedge or speculate. Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that a cease‑fire and reduced Persian Gulf disruption eased supply‑risk expectations in fertilizer markets pressured CF and peers, leading to a sector‑wide pullback as risk premia and near‑term price forecasts were marked down. Persian Gulf Disruption And Cease Fire Shape CF Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ coverage highlights the same cease‑fire theme as a catalyst for the slide in CF and other fertilizer stocks, amplifying investor selling. Cease‑Fire Sparks Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Prominent trader Joe Terranova was reported selling CF, a high‑visibility trade that can accelerate short‑term outflows and contribute to downward price momentum. Joe Terranova Sells CF

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CF has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upped 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, March 17th. Scotiabank upped their price target on CF Industries from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. UBS Group upped their price target on CF Industries from $97.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on CF Industries from $95.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $112.27.

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.