Q1 EPS Estimates for CF Industries Raised by Zacks Research

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) – Research analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for CF Industries in a research note issued to investors on Monday, March 2nd. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the basic materials company will earn $2.08 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.81. Zacks Research currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for CF Industries’ current full-year earnings is $5.83 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for CF Industries’ FY2026 earnings at $7.50 EPS.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.53 by $0.06. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.The company had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on CF. Bank of America reduced their price target on shares of CF Industries from $83.00 to $78.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on CF Industries from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of CF Industries in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $72.00 price target on CF Industries in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price objective on CF Industries from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, CF Industries has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $96.87.

CF Industries Price Performance

CF stock opened at $104.59 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a current ratio of 3.37. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $89.98 and its 200-day moving average price is $85.97. CF Industries has a one year low of $67.34 and a one year high of $109.58. The company has a market capitalization of $16.07 billion, a PE ratio of 11.62 and a beta of 0.68.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.22%.

Insider Transactions at CF Industries

In other CF Industries news, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 3,215 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.00, for a total transaction of $311,855.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 87,861 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,522,517. The trade was a 3.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CF. State Street Corp increased its position in CF Industries by 2.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,982,072 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $734,351,000 after purchasing an additional 165,833 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of CF Industries by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 5,013,846 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $449,742,000 after buying an additional 480,126 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 37.6% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,312,225 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $333,501,000 after buying an additional 1,178,516 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 15.3% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,587,999 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $321,852,000 after buying an additional 476,769 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of CF Industries by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,570,249 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $276,123,000 after buying an additional 381,716 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

Key CF Industries News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks and other research firms have been lifting near‑term and FY2026–FY2028 EPS forecasts for CF, which supports higher earnings expectations and underpins the rally. CF Industries’ Stock Rallies 37% in 3 Months: Here’s Why
• Positive Sentiment: Macro supply risk ahead of the spring application season (Middle East export concerns, seaborne disruptions) is being priced into nitrogen/urea markets, which can lift fertilizer prices and CF’s revenue potential. CF Industries rises as investors price in tighter global nitrogen supply and higher fertilizer pricing risk
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $120 and maintained an Overweight rating — a bullish signal that may attract momentum buyers. Barclays adjusts price target on CF Industries
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and media roundups (hedge-fund/insider news lists) mention CF among many names; useful for context but not a direct catalyst. Hedge Fund and Insider Trading News
• Negative Sentiment: QuiverQuant highlights significant institutional trimming (large position reductions by UBS and other funds) and recent insider sales — pressure that can amplify intraday pullbacks after a run. CF Industries rises as investors price in tighter global nitrogen supply and higher fertilizer pricing risk
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains mixed: Zacks has a “Hold” despite estimate upgrades and the median recent price target across brokers (~$95.5) sits below the current market price, which can limit upside and encourage profit-taking.

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.