AIA Group Ltd Invests $3.43 Million in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• AIA Group Ltd bought a new stake in CF Industries Holdings during the first quarter, purchasing 26,400 shares valued at about $3.43 million.
• CF Industries remains heavily owned by institutions, with 93.06% of shares held by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Several other firms also recently added to or initiated positions in the stock.
• The company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share from $0.50, implying a $2.40 annualized payout and a 2.0% yield. Analysts currently have a mixed but cautious view, with an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $116.62.

AIA Group Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 26,400 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,428,000.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of CF. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in CF Industries by 46.3% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC grew its position in CF Industries by 69.8% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new position in CF Industries in the second quarter worth $44,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at $52,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on CF shares. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on CF Industries from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded CF Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on CF Industries from $86.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of CF Industries from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.

CF Industries Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of CF opened at $121.17 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.89 and a beta of 0.40. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.42 and a twelve month high of $141.96. The company has a quick ratio of 3.15, a current ratio of 3.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $114.30 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $109.51.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a boost from CF Industries's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. CF Industries's payout ratio is 17.97%.

CF Industries 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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report).

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.