Lazard Asset Management LLC Sells 40,330 Shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF

Lazard Asset Management LLC reduced its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) by 44.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 50,532 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 40,330 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC’s holdings in CF Industries were worth $6,561,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Himension Capital Singapore PTE. LTD. acquired a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 46.3% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CF Industries during the 4th quarter worth $43,000. WPG Advisers LLC raised its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 69.8% during the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 552 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 227 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MUFG Securities EMEA plc bought a new stake in shares of CF Industries during the 2nd quarter worth $44,000. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CF Industries Trading Down 1.4%

Shares of CF stock opened at $125.53 on Friday. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $75.42 and a twelve month high of $141.96. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $114.21 and its 200 day simple moving average is $112.39. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $19.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.40.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from CF Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is 17.97%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on CF. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on CF Industries from $86.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. HSBC dropped their target price on shares of CF Industries from $130.00 to $121.00 in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $94.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $116.69.

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.