Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. Acquires 178,561 Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• Farmers & Merchants Investments significantly increased its CF Industries stake, purchasing 178,561 additional shares in the third quarter to own 178,690 shares valued at approximately $22.6 million.
• CF Industries reported quarterly earnings of $4.73 per share and revenue of $2.22 billion, both below analyst expectations, although revenue rose 17.6% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, equivalent to a $2.40 annualized payout and a 2.0% yield; analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with a $121.89 price target.

Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. raised its holdings in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) by 138,419.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 178,690 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 178,561 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. owned about 0.12% of CF Industries worth $22,642,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. bought a new position in CF Industries in the first quarter worth about $25,000. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in CF Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Continuum Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at $28,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in CF Industries in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in CF Industries in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CF Industries Price Performance

NYSE:CF opened at $120.65 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.26 billion, a PE ratio of 8.94, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.53. The company has a current ratio of 4.86, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $123.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $119.87. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.42 and a 1-year high of $141.96.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $4.73 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90). CF Industries had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 24.41%. The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.37 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on CF shares. Wall Street Zen lowered CF Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut their target price on shares of CF Industries from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce boosted their target price on CF Industries from $125.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on CF Industries in a research note on Friday, September 25th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $162.00 price objective for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $135.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $121.89.

CF Industries 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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