CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Brokerages

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) has received a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, ten have issued a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $85.00.

Several research firms have recently commented on CF. Scotiabank reduced their price target on shares of CF Industries from $86.00 to $80.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $99.00 price target on the stock. Berenberg Bank lifted their price target on shares of CF Industries from $68.00 to $69.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 17th. UBS Group lowered shares of CF Industries from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $95.00 to $83.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $88.00 price target (down previously from $96.00) on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.00, for a total transaction of $510,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 64,030 shares in the company, valued at $5,442,550. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.48% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the first quarter valued at about $25,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in CF Industries by 428.6% during the third quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 370 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC purchased a new position in CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

CF Industries Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of CF Industries stock opened at $74.99 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $13.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.02. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $81.24 and its 200-day simple moving average is $79.15. CF Industries has a 1-year low of $60.08 and a 1-year high of $87.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 3.94 and a quick ratio of 3.55.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.44). The company had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.46 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 14.08% and a net margin of 19.03%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 26.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.85 earnings per share. Analysts predict that CF Industries will post 5.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.67%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is currently 33.22%.

About CF Industries

CF Industries Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other segments.