Candriam S.C.A. Boosts Stock Holdings in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Candriam S.C.A. increased its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) by 66.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,806 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 7,111 shares during the period. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in CF Industries were worth $1,597,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CF. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc grew its holdings in CF Industries by 24.4% in the second quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 95,289 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,767,000 after purchasing an additional 18,666 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of CF Industries by 11.5% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,647 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $20,868,000 after buying an additional 23,942 shares in the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at $677,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in CF Industries by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 276,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $25,442,000 after acquiring an additional 15,291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH raised its position in CF Industries by 26.8% during the third quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 2,193,042 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $196,716,000 after acquiring an additional 464,115 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. HSBC dropped their target price on shares of CF Industries from $95.00 to $91.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on CF Industries from $87.00 to $80.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce upgraded CF Industries to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 2nd. Wolfe Research raised CF Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on CF Industries in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $100.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $88.14.

CF Industries Stock Down 3.0%

Shares of NYSE:CF opened at $94.01 on Friday. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $67.34 and a 52-week high of $104.45. The stock has a market cap of $14.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.33 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a fifty day moving average of $84.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $85.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.99, a current ratio of 2.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

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 given a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 13th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.10%.

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.