CF Industries (NYSE:CF) Shares Up 9.5% – Time to Buy?

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)’s stock price was up 9.5% during mid-day trading on Thursday. The stock traded as high as $122.30 and last traded at $122.2610. 1,223,889 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 3,178,689 shares. The stock had previously closed at $111.68.

Key Stories Impacting CF Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue rose 12.1% year over year to $1.86 billion, beating the $1.77 billion analyst estimate. EPS also increased from $2.19 a year earlier to $2.87. Earnings results
• Positive Sentiment: CF reported $1.78 billion in net earnings and $3.01 billion in adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2026, underscoring substantial year-to-date profitability. Company results release
• Neutral Sentiment: An article frames CF as potentially undervalued following an Ontario diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) expansion study, which may draw attention to possible growth opportunities; the provided report summary does not give details of the study’s expected impact. Ontario DEF expansion study article
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS of $2.87 fell short of estimates ranging from $2.93 to $3.00. Higher costs offset sales gains and weighed on profitability, limiting the positive impact of the revenue beat. Earnings and cost analysis

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CF has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce increased their target price on CF Industries from $125.00 to $133.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. KeyCorp initiated coverage on CF Industries in a report on Thursday, September 10th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $115.00 price objective for the company. Scotiabank increased their price objective on CF Industries from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 10th. UBS Group raised their price objective on CF Industries from $123.00 to $134.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 27th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded CF Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, July 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have given a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CF Industries has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $122.65.

CF Industries Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $17.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.54. The company’s fifty day moving average is $122.72 and its 200 day moving average is $116.43. The company has a current ratio of 4.86, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 4th. The basic materials company reported $2.87 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.00 by ($0.13). CF Industries had a return on equity of 24.41% and a net margin of 27.12%. The business had revenue of $1.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.19 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. CF Industries’s payout ratio is currently 17.79%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CF Industries

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CF. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in CF Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,410,607,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of CF Industries by 3.4% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,458,907 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $579,062,000 after purchasing an additional 146,682 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 8.4% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 2,048,671 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $265,999,000 after purchasing an additional 158,119 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth approximately $198,857,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of CF Industries by 1.9% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,747,078 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $189,139,000 after buying an additional 32,293 shares during the period. 93.06% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CF Industries

CF Industries Holdings, Inc is a global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products. The company produces ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and nitric acid, which are used primarily in agricultural fertilizers and a range of industrial applications. CF Industries also supplies products such as diesel exhaust fluid and other nitrogen-based solutions.

The company serves agricultural and industrial customers in North America and internationally. Its manufacturing and distribution operations include facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, supported by an extensive logistics and distribution network.