CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Hold” by Analysts

Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) have received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eighteen research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, thirteen have issued a hold recommendation, two have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $89.7143.

CF has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on CF Industries from $80.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price target on shares of CF Industries from $78.00 to $86.00 in a report on Monday, November 10th. Scotiabank raised their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. Cibc Captl Mkts upgraded shares of CF Industries to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on CF Industries in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $100.00 target price for the company.

CF Industries Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CF opened at $94.03 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $14.67 billion, a PE ratio of 11.33 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.99 and a current ratio of 2.27. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $81.33 and a 200-day moving average of $85.02. CF Industries has a one year low of $67.34 and a one year high of $104.45.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The basic materials company reported $2.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.06 by $0.13. CF Industries had a return on equity of 18.14% and a net margin of 20.47%.The company had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.55 earnings per share. CF Industries’s revenue for the quarter was up 21.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that CF Industries will post 5.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 13th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.10%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in CF Industries by 78.0% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 396.2% during 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 period. Eastern Bank purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 451.3% in the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

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.