CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Given New $135.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) had its price objective upped by Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $135.00 in a report released on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

CF has been the topic of several other reports. 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 research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research downgraded CF Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Scotiabank increased their target price on CF Industries from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded CF Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, December 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $112.27.

CF Industries Stock Performance

NYSE:CF opened at $125.81 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.33 billion, a PE ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a quick ratio of 2.93, a current ratio of 3.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. CF Industries has a twelve month low of $67.49 and a twelve month high of $141.96.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.CF Industries’s revenue was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.89 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that CF Industries will post 5.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 22.22%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total value of $756,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 69,472 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,753,472. This trade represents a 7.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 3,666 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.50, for a total value of $427,089.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,232,256.50. This trade represents a 16.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 82,408 shares of company stock valued at $9,971,298 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lakewood Asset Management LLC grew its stake in CF Industries by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. Lakewood Asset Management LLC now owns 12,371 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $957,000 after purchasing an additional 111 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in CF Industries by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 2,365 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $183,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL grew its stake in CF Industries by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 17,528 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,356,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its stake in CF Industries by 78.0% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in CF Industries by 4.9% during the third quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,898 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $260,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CF Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research note CF’s strong cash‑flow generation, which supports growth investments and shareholder returns and underpins the company’s longer‑term fundamentals. CF’s Cash Flow Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $135 (from $95) — signaling improved mid‑cycle valuation support even as it retains an “equal weight” view. This lends some upside reference for investors. Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC also raised its target to $125 (from $100) but kept a “sector perform” rating, reflecting mixed analyst views — supportive of valuation but not a strong buy signal. RBC Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume was observed in CF, indicating elevated positioning and the potential for amplified intraday moves as traders hedge or speculate. Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that a cease‑fire and reduced Persian Gulf disruption eased supply‑risk expectations in fertilizer markets pressured CF and peers, leading to a sector‑wide pullback as risk premia and near‑term price forecasts were marked down. Persian Gulf Disruption And Cease Fire Shape CF Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ coverage highlights the same cease‑fire theme as a catalyst for the slide in CF and other fertilizer stocks, amplifying investor selling. Cease‑Fire Sparks Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Prominent trader Joe Terranova was reported selling CF, a high‑visibility trade that can accelerate short‑term outflows and contribute to downward price momentum. Joe Terranova Sells CF

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.