Vest Financial LLC Sells 140,776 Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Key Points

• Vest Financial LLC cut its stake in CF Industries by 89.4%, selling 140,776 shares in Q4 and retaining 16,755 shares valued at $1.296 million.
• Company insiders sold 82,408 shares worth about $9.97 million in the last quarter (including EVP Bert A. Frost's 6,000-share sale and VP Erik M. Mayer's 1,500-share sale), leaving insiders with a 0.51% ownership stake.
• CF beat quarterly estimates (EPS $2.59 vs. $2.53) with revenue up 22.8% to $1.87 billion, declared a $0.50 quarterly dividend (annual $2.00, yield 1.6%), and carries a consensus analyst rating of Hold with a $118.53 price target.

Vest Financial LLC lessened its holdings in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) by 89.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,755 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 140,776 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC's holdings in CF Industries were worth $1,296,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of CF. True Wealth Design LLC raised its position in CF Industries by 396.2% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 387 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Peterson Wealth Services raised its position in CF Industries by 451.3% in the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Institutional investors own 93.06% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total value of $756,000.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 69,472 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,753,472. This represents a 7.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Erik M. Mayer sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.69, for a total value of $187,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 6,341 shares in the company, valued at approximately $790,659.29. This trade represents a 19.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 82,408 shares of company stock worth $9,971,298 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.51% of the company's stock.

CF Industries Stock Down 1.7%

CF stock opened at $124.58 on Friday. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.42 and a 1-year high of $141.96. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $119.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.52. The company has a current ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 0.52.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The business had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.89 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 12.41 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 15th. CF Industries's dividend payout ratio is 22.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on CF shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on CF Industries from $95.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays lifted their target price on CF Industries from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Mizuho lifted their target price on CF Industries from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Royal Bank Of Canada lifted their target price on CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "sector perform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their target price on CF Industries from $86.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CF Industries has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $118.53.

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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