CF Industries Target of Unusually High Options Trading (NYSE:CF)
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyCF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF – Get Free Report) saw some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 8,741 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 37% compared to the typical volume of 6,360 call options.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $72.00 price objective on shares of CF Industries in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of CF Industries from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of CF Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays increased their price objective on CF Industries from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on CF Industries from $100.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, CF Industries currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $104.60.
CF Industries Stock Up 2.9%
Shares of CF traded up $3.90 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $136.46. 3,814,627 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,228,526. The company has a market cap of $20.96 billion, a PE ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 0.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $104.62 and its 200-day moving average is $90.43. CF Industries has a 52 week low of $67.34 and a 52 week high of $137.44. 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 (NYSE:CF – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The basic materials company reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $1.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.78 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 22.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that CF Industries will post 5.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.
CF Industries Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 13th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 13th. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.22%.
Insider Buying and Selling at CF Industries
In other CF Industries news, VP Richard A. Hoker sold 3,499 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.38, for a total transaction 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 approximately $3,891,293.68. This represents a 10.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Bert A. Frost sold 6,000 shares of CF Industries stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.00, for a total transaction of $756,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 69,472 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,753,472. This trade represents a 7.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 82,408 shares of company stock worth $9,971,298. 0.42% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries
A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CF. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 boosted its stake in CF Industries by 396.2% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 387 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the period. Eastern Bank bought a new position in CF Industries in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its position in CF Industries by 46.3% in 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 during the period. Finally, Peterson Wealth Services boosted its position in shares of CF Industries by 451.3% in the third quarter. Peterson Wealth Services now owns 441 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 361 shares during the period. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
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.