CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Shares Up 7.9% – Time to Buy?

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)’s stock price was up 7.9% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $119.87 and last traded at $118.7030. Approximately 2,618,663 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 16% from the average daily volume of 3,116,006 shares. The stock had previously closed at $110.05.

CF Industries News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting CF Industries this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record/highs and supply-driven upside: CF has hit all-time highs and is up markedly year-to-date as the Middle East conflict tightened global ammonia/urea supply, boosting fertilizer prices and supporting CF’s revenue outlook. CF Industries Is Up 76% and Fertilizer Supply Is Why
• Positive Sentiment: Near-term upside momentum: Shares surged ~13.2% in a session with above-average volume; analysts note recent earnings-estimate revisions that could translate into further gains. CF (CF) Surges 13.2%: Is This an Indication of Further Gains?
• Positive Sentiment: Supply chokepoints boosting sector: Reports show fertilizer stocks jumping as shipments are delayed at the Strait of Hormuz, a supply shock that favors large producers like CF. Fertilizer Stocks Jump With Shipments Stuck at the Strait of Hormuz
• Positive Sentiment: Market leadership: CF and peers have topped S&P leaderboards as Iran-related conflict pushed fertilizer prices sharply higher, lifting CF’s sector performance. CF Industries, Mosaic top S&P leaderboard as Iran war sends fertilizer prices soaring
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor watchlist mention: CF appears on late‑March watchlists — useful for visibility but not new fundamental news. 3 US Stocks To Watch In Late March 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Balanced risk/reward coverage: Coverage notes record share gains but highlights mounting geopolitical risks tied to the Iran conflict — supportive for prices short term, but increases operational/geopolitical uncertainty. CF Industries Shares Hit Record High on Risks From Iran War
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/political risk: Senator Hawley publicly accused CF of price gouging after urea prices jumped (~32%), raising the prospect of political scrutiny, hearings or reputational damage that could pressure the stock. Senator Hawley accuses CF Industries of price gouging as urea surges 32%

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $103.00 target price on shares of CF Industries in a report on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of CF Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Scotiabank raised their price target on shares of CF Industries from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $72.00 price objective on shares of CF Industries in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their target price on CF Industries from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $96.87.

CF Industries Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $94.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $87.29. The company has a quick ratio of 2.93, a current ratio of 3.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $19.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.40 and a beta of 0.68.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last released its 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 net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 19.84%. The firm had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CF Industries

In other news, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 3,666 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.50, for a total transaction of $427,089.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,232,256.50. This represents a 16.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 6,184 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.33, for a total value of $676,096.72. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 34,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,775,711.55. The trade was a 15.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 47,118 shares of company stock valued at $5,280,588 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $193,657,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in CF Industries by 37.6% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,312,225 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $333,501,000 after buying an additional 1,178,516 shares during the period. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC purchased a new position in CF Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $96,560,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its holdings in CF Industries by 926.2% during the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,118,446 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $102,897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,009,455 shares during the period. Finally, Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec raised its holdings in CF Industries by 52.4% during the 3rd quarter. Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec now owns 1,775,106 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $159,227,000 after acquiring an additional 610,259 shares during the period. 93.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CF Industries Company 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.