CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.90 EPS

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The basic materials company reported $4.73 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.45 billion. CF Industries had a return on equity of 20.93% and a net margin of 23.73%.The business’s revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.37 EPS.

CF Industries Stock Down 1.9%

Shares of CF stock traded down $2.23 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $115.88. 2,681,600 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,227,945. 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $114.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $113.39. CF Industries has a 12-month low of $75.42 and a 12-month high of $141.96. The stock has a market cap of $17.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.41 and a beta of 0.39.

CF Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This is a positive change from CF Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.97%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MUFG Securities EMEA plc purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth $44,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in shares of CF Industries by 141.6% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 790 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 463 shares during the last quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in CF Industries by 201.7% in the 4th quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 899 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 601 shares in the last quarter. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CF Industries during the 4th quarter valued at about $79,000. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in CF Industries by 73.2% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $89,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CF has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group cut their target price on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $125.00 to $115.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on CF Industries from $135.00 to $115.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America upped their target price on CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on CF Industries from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $116.69.

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.