CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) Short Interest Up 8.5% in May

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 5,630,000 shares, an increase of 8.5% from the May 15th total of 5,190,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 2,520,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.2 days. Currently, 3.1% of the shares of the company are sold short.

CF Industries Stock Down 0.6 %

NYSE CF opened at $73.56 on Wednesday. CF Industries has a 12 month low of $67.59 and a 12 month high of $87.90. The company has a market capitalization of $13.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.22, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.00. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $77.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $78.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 3.94 and a quick ratio of 3.55.

CF Industries (NYSE:CF) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 1st. The basic materials company reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.47 by ($0.44). The company had revenue of $1.47 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.46 billion. CF Industries had a net margin of 19.03% and a return on equity of 14.08%. CF Industries’s quarterly revenue was down 26.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.85 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that CF Industries will post 5.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CF Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 15th were given a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.72%. CF Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their target price on shares of CF Industries from $82.00 to $75.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, May 7th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $88.00 price objective (down from $96.00) on shares of CF Industries in a research report on Wednesday, April 10th. Scotiabank lowered their target price on CF Industries from $86.00 to $80.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, May 6th. Wolfe Research began coverage on CF Industries in a research report on Friday, March 1st. They set an “outperform” rating and a $99.00 price target for the company. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on CF Industries from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $85.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CF Industries

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Westside Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in CF Industries during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new position in CF Industries during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new stake in CF Industries in the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in CF Industries by 62.2% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 600 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 230 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company’s stock.

About CF Industries

CF Industries Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other segments.