Mediolanum International Funds Ltd Lowers Position in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• Mediolanum International Funds Ltd reduced its stake in CF Industries by 18.4% in the first quarter, selling 30,106 shares and leaving it with 133,529 shares valued at about $18.4 million.
• Analysts are mixed on the stock: CF Industries now has a consensus Hold rating, with an average target price of $116.62 after several firms recently raised price targets.
• The company boosted its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share from $0.50, implying a 2.0% annualized yield and reflecting a relatively low payout ratio of 17.97%.

Mediolanum International Funds Ltd cut its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) by 18.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 133,529 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 30,106 shares during the quarter. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd owned about 0.09% of CF Industries worth $18,374,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of CF Industries by 46.3% in the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its position in 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 acquiring an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new position in CF Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, MV Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in CF Industries during the 4th quarter valued at $52,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on CF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on CF Industries from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Berenberg Bank upped their price target on CF Industries from $86.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 28th. Bank of America increased their price objective on CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Barclays lifted their price objective on CF Industries from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered CF Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CF Industries has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $116.62.

CF Industries Price Performance

Shares of CF opened at $121.17 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $18.62 billion, a PE ratio of 10.89 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.54, a quick ratio of 3.15 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 Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.42 and a 1-year high of $141.96.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

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

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