CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Trading Up 6.6% – Still a Buy?

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)’s share price rose 6.6% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $129.18 and last traded at $126.8590. Approximately 415,607 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 88% from the average daily volume of 3,391,676 shares. The stock had previously closed at $119.02.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on CF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of CF Industries from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, June 15th. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of CF Industries from $86.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 28th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price target on CF Industries from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. 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 given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $116.56.

CF Industries Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $19.04 billion, a PE ratio of 9.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $115.20 and a 200-day simple moving average of $115.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 4.86 and a quick ratio of 4.32.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $4.73 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90). The business had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.45 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 27.12% and a return on equity of 24.41%. The firm’s revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.85 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This is a positive change from CF Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.79%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. purchased a new stake in CF Industries during the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Virtus Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Keating Financial Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd increased its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 36.6% in the first quarter. Altshuler Shaham Ltd now owns 418 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 39.6% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 430 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

About CF Industries

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.