CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Stock Price Up 5.3% Following Analyst Upgrade

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)’s share price rose 5.3% during trading on Tuesday after Morgan Stanley raised their price target on the stock from $95.00 to $135.00. Morgan Stanley currently has an equal weight rating on the stock. CF Industries traded as high as $139.45 and last traded at $137.9810. Approximately 1,031,443 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 75% from the average daily volume of 4,121,893 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.98.

A number of other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the company. Bank of America upped their price target on CF Industries from $86.00 to $103.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. Zacks Research downgraded CF Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on CF Industries from $115.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 18th. 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, 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $112.27.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other CF Industries news, SVP Michael Patrick Mcgrane sold 3,666 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $116.50, for a total value of $427,089.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,161 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,232,256.50. The trade was a 16.06% 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, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 3,499 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,891,293.68. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 82,408 shares of company stock valued at $9,971,298 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.42% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting CF Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research note CF’s strong cash‑flow generation, which supports growth investments and shareholder returns and underpins the company’s longer‑term fundamentals. CF’s Cash Flow Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $135 (from $95) — signaling improved mid‑cycle valuation support even as it retains an “equal weight” view. This lends some upside reference for investors. Morgan Stanley Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC also raised its target to $125 (from $100) but kept a “sector perform” rating, reflecting mixed analyst views — supportive of valuation but not a strong buy signal. RBC Raises Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume was observed in CF, indicating elevated positioning and the potential for amplified intraday moves as traders hedge or speculate. Unusually High Options Trading
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that a cease‑fire and reduced Persian Gulf disruption eased supply‑risk expectations in fertilizer markets pressured CF and peers, leading to a sector‑wide pullback as risk premia and near‑term price forecasts were marked down. Persian Gulf Disruption And Cease Fire Shape CF Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: WSJ coverage highlights the same cease‑fire theme as a catalyst for the slide in CF and other fertilizer stocks, amplifying investor selling. Cease‑Fire Sparks Slide
• Negative Sentiment: Prominent trader Joe Terranova was reported selling CF, a high‑visibility trade that can accelerate short‑term outflows and contribute to downward price momentum. Joe Terranova Sells CF

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in CF Industries by 11.5% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 232,647 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $20,868,000 after purchasing an additional 23,942 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its holdings in CF Industries by 878.2% in the third quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 17,941 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,609,000 after purchasing an additional 16,107 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its holdings in CF Industries by 19.8% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 369,321 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $33,128,000 after purchasing an additional 61,140 shares during the last quarter. Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the third quarter valued at $677,000. Finally, AIA Group Ltd acquired a new stake in CF Industries in the third quarter valued at $376,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

CF Industries Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 2.93, a current ratio of 3.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. The company has a market cap of $19.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.98 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $111.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $93.01.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.53 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 19.84% and a net margin of 20.54%.CF Industries’s revenue was up 22.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.89 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

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

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.