CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Raised to “Strong-Buy” at Freedom Capital

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) was upgraded by Freedom Capital from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $100.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce increased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $118.00 to $128.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Barclays increased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on CF Industries from $132.00 to $133.00 in a report on Friday, May 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $118.47.

CF Industries Price Performance

CF stock opened at $127.83 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 3.54, a quick ratio of 3.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. CF Industries has a one year low of $75.42 and a one year high of $141.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.64 billion, a PE ratio of 11.49 and a beta of 0.42. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $124.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $99.66.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported $3.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $1.35. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.84 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 23.73% and a return on equity of 20.93%. The firm’s revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.85 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that CF Industries will post 15.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at CF Industries

In related news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 6,184 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.33, for a total value of $676,096.72. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 34,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,775,711.55. This represents a 15.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 18,041 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.06, for a total value of $2,454,658.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 55,762 shares in the company, valued at $7,586,977.72. This represents a 24.44% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 82,408 shares of company stock worth $9,971,298. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. acquired a new position in CF Industries during the first quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in CF Industries by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 156 shares during the last quarter. Peterson Wealth Services grew its holdings in CF Industries by 451.3% during the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in CF Industries during the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Stance Capital LLC acquired a new position in CF Industries during the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.