CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Price Target Raised to $140.00

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) had its price target upped by BMO Capital Markets from $115.00 to $140.00 in a report published on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

A number of other brokerages have also recently weighed in on CF. BNP Paribas Exane boosted their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Bank of America dropped their target price 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. Mizuho reissued an “underperform” rating and set a $100.00 target price (up from $95.00) on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Wednesday. HSBC decreased their price target on shares of CF Industries from $95.00 to $91.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 24th. Finally, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce raised their price target on CF Industries from $100.00 to $118.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $101.73.

CF Industries Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of CF stock opened at $124.82 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $100.18 and its 200 day simple moving average is $88.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 2.93 and a current ratio of 3.37. CF Industries has a twelve month low of $67.34 and a twelve month high of $137.44. The company has a market capitalization of $19.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.87 and a beta of 0.68.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $1.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.89 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that CF Industries will post 5.83 EPS for the current year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.22%.

Insider Buying and Selling at CF Industries

In other CF Industries news, EVP Susan L. Menzel sold 18,041 shares of the firm’s 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 sale, the executive vice president owned 55,762 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,586,977.72. This trade represents a 24.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Erik M. Mayer sold 1,500 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $124.69, for a total value of $187,035.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,341 shares in the company, valued at $790,659.29. The trade was a 19.13% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 82,408 shares of company stock valued at $9,971,298 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. lifted its position in CF Industries by 78.0% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 128 shares during the period. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in CF Industries by 396.2% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the period. Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of CF Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Peterson Wealth Services raised its stake in shares of CF Industries by 451.3% in the 3rd quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 3rd quarter worth about $41,000. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More CF Industries News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Middle East supply disruptions (Strait of Hormuz) have tightened global nitrogen/urea flows, lifting prices and benefiting CF as a low?cost North American producer — a key driver of the strong YTD performance. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Sell?side bullishness: BMO and Bank of America have published favorable notes and higher targets, reinforcing near?term upside expectations tied to the fertilizer rally. Read More. | Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Momentum/earnings context: CF has rallied strongly since its last report (+26% in one note), but further gains depend on how persistent fertilizer prices remain versus margins and capex. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro backdrop: hotter PPI could support commodity prices (helpful for fertilizer producers) but also raises input?cost and rate risks; impact on CF depends on persistent pricing vs. cost pressures. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Regulatory/legal risk: reporting of a DOJ probe into fertilizer markets adds uncertainty and could cap valuation expansion even as fundamentals improve. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Broker caution: Mizuho reiterated an “Underperform” with a ~$100 target, signaling some analysts view the rally as stretched and creating downward pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: several executives disclosed sales on March 17 (EVP Bert Frost, VPs including Erik Mayer and Richard Hoker). Multiple filings can be read as profit?taking and may weigh on near?term sentiment. Read More.

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.