Calamos Advisors LLC Makes New Investment in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• Calamos Advisors LLC opened a new position in CF Industries Holdings in the first quarter, buying 50,603 shares worth about $6.57 million.
• Institutional ownership remains very high, with 93.06% of CF Industries stock held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• CF Industries recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share from $0.50, putting the annualized payout at $2.40 and the dividend yield at about 2.0%.

Calamos Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 50,603 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $6,570,000.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in CF Industries by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the period. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at about $42,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CF Industries in the 4th quarter valued at about $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 69.8% in the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth about $44,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently weighed in on CF shares. Zacks Research cut CF Industries from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CF Industries from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on CF Industries from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Bank of America boosted their price target on CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CF Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $117.25.

CF Industries Price Performance

NYSE:CF opened at $119.24 on Wednesday. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $75.42 and a one year high of $141.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 3.15 and a current ratio of 3.54. The stock has a market cap of $18.32 billion, a PE ratio of 10.71 and a beta of 0.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $114.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $108.63.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

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

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.

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