Natixis Advisors LLC Trims Stake in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) by 12.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 316,343 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 45,438 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in CF Industries were worth $24,466,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in CF Industries by 46.3% in 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 period. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the third quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC grew its holdings in CF Industries by 69.8% in the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 227 shares during the period. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. 93.06% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CF Industries Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CF opened at $117.75 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $123.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $102.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 3.54 and a quick ratio of 3.15. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.42 and a 1-year high of $141.96. The company has a market cap of $18.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.58 and a beta of 0.38.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The basic materials company reported $3.98 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.63 by $1.35. CF Industries had a return on equity of 20.93% and a net margin of 23.73%.The company had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.84 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.85 EPS. CF Industries’s revenue was up 19.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 15.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.97%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on CF shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on CF Industries from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank Of Canada boosted their price objective on CF Industries from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research raised CF Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Bank of America lifted their target price on CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on CF Industries from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 18th. Three research 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 stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $119.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 3,499 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 31,036 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,891,293.68. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Erik M. Mayer sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $124.69, for a total value of $187,035.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president directly owned 6,341 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $790,659.29. This trade represents a 19.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 40,824 shares of company stock valued at $5,333,817. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.