Prudential PLC Grows Position in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Prudential PLC increased its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) by 88.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 112,304 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 52,770 shares during the period. Prudential PLC owned about 0.07% of CF Industries worth $8,686,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CF. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 46.3% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 493 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 156 shares during the period. Stance Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the third quarter worth approximately $42,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the fourth quarter worth approximately $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 69.8% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 227 shares during the period. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CF Industries Stock Performance

Shares of CF opened at $113.72 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $122.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $102.63. The company has a quick ratio of 3.15, a current ratio of 3.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $17.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.22 and a beta of 0.38. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $75.42 and a 52-week high of $141.96.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported $3.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.63 by $1.35. CF Industries had a return on equity of 20.93% and a net margin of 23.73%.The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.85 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 19.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 15.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is currently 17.97%.

Insider Transactions at CF Industries

In other CF Industries news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 3,499 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.38, for a total value of $438,704.62. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 31,036 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,891,293.68. The trade was a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total value of $756,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 69,472 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,753,472. This represents a 7.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 40,824 shares of company stock worth $5,333,817 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 0.51% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on CF shares. Berenberg Bank upped their target price on shares of CF Industries from $86.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their price target on CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research raised CF Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. BNP Paribas Exane upped their price target on CF Industries from $95.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised CF Industries from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $119.00.

CF Industries 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.