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Cf Industries Holdings (CF)
NYSE:CF

Cf Industries Holdings (CF) AI Stock Analysis

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CF

Cf Industries Holdings

(NYSE:CF)

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Outperform 70 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:70Outperform
Price Target:
$89.00
▲(10.16% Upside)
The score is driven primarily by strong financial profitability and a favorable valuation (low P/E with a solid dividend). Earnings-call commentary reinforces the outlook via strong cash generation and shareholder returns, while technical signals are mixed and temper near-term conviction.
Positive Factors
High profitability and ROE
Sustained high gross and net margins with a strong 28% ROE indicate durable operational efficiency and pricing power in nitrogen fertilizer production. These margins support reinvestment, dividends, and resilience through cycles, underpinning cash generation and strategic flexibility over months to years.
Strong free cash flow conversion & buybacks
A 65% conversion of EBITDA to free cash flow and substantial share repurchases demonstrate consistent cash conversion and a shareholder-focused capital allocation framework. Reliable FCF enables debt management, project funding and continued buybacks, supporting per-share earnings durability over the medium term.
Strategic low‑carbon ammonia JV with major partners
The Blue Point joint venture with JERA and Mitsui positions CF to lead low‑carbon ammonia supply, granting offtake credibility, shared capital risk, and technology scale. Management expects incremental free cash flow from these projects, strengthening long-term growth and ESG alignment amid decarbonization trends.
Negative Factors
Historical revenue volatility
The company’s revenue has shown historical volatility driven by commodity cycles and uneven global demand. Persistent top-line swings complicate multi-year planning, capex timing and margin predictability, making earnings and cash flow more sensitive to agricultural and macro commodity shifts over months to quarters.
Decline in free cash flow growth
A recent decline in free cash flow growth reduces room for discretionary spending while projects and shareholder returns continue. If FCF growth does not stabilize, funding for strategic investments or buybacks may be constrained and leverage or liquidity could face pressure over the medium term.
Operational risk from Yazoo City incident
A material incident at the Yazoo City complex creates operational, regulatory and reputational risk that can affect production availability and raise compliance or remediation costs. Such events can reduce plant reliability and increase downtime or capital needs, impacting sustainable output and margins over months.

Cf Industries Holdings (CF) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Cf Industries Holdings Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionCF Industries Holdings, Inc. manufactures and sells hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities worldwide. Its principal products include anhydrous ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate products. The company also offers diesel exhaust fluid, urea liquor, nitric acid, and aqua ammonia products; and compound fertilizer products with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It primarily serves cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers, and industrial users. The company was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois.
How the Company Makes MoneyCF Industries generates revenue primarily through the sale of its nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer products. The company's revenue model is based on selling these products to agricultural customers, which include farmers and distributors. Key revenue streams include the sale of urea, ammonium nitrate, and other nitrogen-based fertilizers, which are sold at market-driven prices influenced by factors such as crop demand, production costs, and global commodity prices. Additionally, CF Industries benefits from long-term contracts and strategic partnerships with agricultural cooperatives and distributors, enabling them to secure stable sales channels. The company's investments in production facilities, particularly its state-of-the-art nitrogen production plants, also contribute to its competitive advantage and profitability. Overall, CF Industries' earnings are significantly impacted by agricultural trends, global fertilizer demand, and fluctuations in natural gas prices, which is a critical input in nitrogen fertilizer production.

Cf Industries Holdings Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Net Sales by Segment
Net Sales by Segment
Reveals the revenue generated from each business segment, highlighting which areas are driving growth and contributing most to the company's top line.
Chart InsightsCF Industries' net sales reveal a mixed performance across segments. Ammonia and UAN sales have shown recovery in early 2025, aligning with the company's strategic focus on operational excellence and robust demand. However, the 'Other' segment continues to face challenges. The earnings call highlights strong financial performance and strategic initiatives like the Blue Point joint venture, but also warns of potential volatility in ammonia prices and trade policy challenges. The company's commitment to shareholder returns and carbon capture projects positions it well for future growth despite these risks.
Data provided by:The Fly

Cf Industries Holdings Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Nov 05, 2025
(Q3-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Feb 18, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
CF Industries reported strong financial results and environmental achievements, with robust market demand supporting future growth. However, challenges include a recent incident at the Yazoo City complex and a persistent valuation disconnect in the market.
Q3-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Strong Financial Performance
CF Industries reported adjusted EBITDA of $2.1 billion for the first 9 months of 2025, reflecting strong execution and high free cash flow conversion rate of 65%.
Significant Environmental Achievements
The company reduced GHG emissions intensity by 25% and completed various environmentally responsible initiatives, including carbon capture projects and low-emission ammonia production.
Expansion and Strategic Growth
CF Industries is developing the world's largest ultra-low emissions ammonia plant at the Blue Point complex in Louisiana, with strong support from partners JERA and Mitsui.
Robust Market Demand
The global nitrogen supply-demand balance remains tight, with strong demand from North America, India, and Brazil, and constrained supply due to low global inventories.
Successful Share Repurchase Program
CF Industries completed its 2022 share repurchase authorization, reducing outstanding shares by 19% and increasing earnings per share by approximately 31%.
Negative Updates
Yazoo City Incident
An incident occurred at the Yazoo City, Mississippi complex, resulting in an investigation and potential operational impacts, although no significant injuries were reported.
Valuation Disconnect
Despite strong financial performance, CF Industries trades at a low valuation multiple compared to its peers, highlighting a disconnect with market perception.
Cost Challenges
Higher labor and capital costs related to inflation and increased maintenance expenses led to a revised capital expenditure projection of approximately $575 million for 2025.
Company Guidance
During the CF Industries Q3 2025 earnings call, the company provided robust guidance with several key metrics. CF Industries reported an adjusted EBITDA of $2.1 billion for the first nine months of 2025, reflecting the company's strong operational performance and strategic initiatives. The company's trailing 12-month average recordable incident rate was noted as 0.37 incidents per 200,000 work hours, showcasing their commitment to safety. CF Industries highlighted a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity by 25% since 2020, achieved through various initiatives including plant closures, new efficient plant commissions, and carbon capture projects. Financially, the company emphasized its strong free cash flow generation, with a conversion efficiency from EBITDA of 65%, and ongoing aggressive share repurchases, having returned approximately $1.3 billion to shareholders in the first nine months of the year. Additionally, their strategic projects are expected to provide consistent incremental free cash flow of $150 million to $200 million by the end of the decade. The market context was also discussed, with an emphasis on the strong global nitrogen demand and supply constraints, contributing to a constructive outlook for the industry.

Cf Industries Holdings Financial Statement Overview

Summary
CF Industries Holdings demonstrates a solid financial performance with strong profitability and moderate leverage. The company shows positive revenue growth and effective equity utilization, although there are some concerns regarding declining free cash flow growth and operational efficiency.
Income Statement
CF Industries Holdings shows a strong financial performance with a solid gross profit margin of 38.65% and a net profit margin of 20.20% for TTM. The revenue growth rate of 4.48% indicates a positive trajectory compared to the previous period. However, the EBIT and EBITDA margins have slightly decreased, suggesting some pressure on operational efficiency.
Balance Sheet
The company's balance sheet reflects a stable financial position with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, indicating moderate leverage. The return on equity is robust at 26.14%, showcasing effective utilization of equity. However, the equity ratio is not explicitly calculated, which could provide further insights into asset financing.
Cash Flow
Cash flow analysis reveals a slight decline in free cash flow growth at -4.20%, which could be a concern if it continues. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is strong at 3.01, indicating good cash generation relative to net income. The free cash flow to net income ratio of 0.71 suggests that a significant portion of net income is converted into free cash flow.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue6.74B5.94B6.63B11.19B6.54B4.12B
Gross Profit2.68B2.06B2.65B5.89B2.36B834.00M
EBITDA3.12B2.83B3.27B6.28B2.61B1.53B
Net Income1.38B1.22B1.52B3.35B917.00M317.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets14.20B13.47B14.38B13.31B12.38B12.02B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments1.84B1.61B2.03B2.32B1.63B683.00M
Total Debt3.40B3.25B3.23B3.23B3.72B4.22B
Total Liabilities6.51B5.87B6.00B5.46B6.34B6.42B
Stockholders Equity4.85B4.99B5.72B5.05B3.21B2.92B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow1.71B1.75B2.26B3.39B2.35B922.00M
Operating Cash Flow2.63B2.27B2.76B3.85B2.87B1.23B
Investing Cash Flow-903.00M-469.00M-1.68B-440.00M-466.00M-299.00M
Financing Cash Flow-1.76B-2.21B-1.37B-2.70B-1.46B-542.00M

Cf Industries Holdings Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price80.79
Price Trends
50DMA
79.78
Positive
100DMA
83.01
Negative
200DMA
84.48
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
0.32
Negative
RSI
54.53
Neutral
STOCH
78.61
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CF, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 80.79 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 78.80, above the 50-day MA of 79.78, and below the 200-day MA of 84.48, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.32 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 54.53 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 78.61 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CF.

Cf Industries Holdings Risk Analysis

Cf Industries Holdings disclosed 22 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Cf Industries Holdings reported the most risks in the "Ability to Sell" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Cf Industries Holdings Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
72
Outperform
$1.15B9.0642.00%12.33%16.52%141.96%
70
Outperform
$12.88B9.9627.46%2.56%12.59%31.40%
65
Neutral
$8.25B6.7410.00%3.70%3.82%239.39%
61
Neutral
$10.43B7.12-0.05%2.87%2.86%-36.73%
60
Neutral
$7.21B19.556.15%3.36%1.77%-8.72%
50
Neutral
$3.58B24.974.52%-3.93%
47
Neutral
$1.90B-3.56-11.52%16.68%-13.42%-136.59%
* Basic Materials Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
CF
Cf Industries Holdings
80.79
-11.96
-12.89%
UAN
CVR Partners
113.12
43.18
61.74%
FMC
FMC
15.15
-36.01
-70.39%
MOS
Mosaic Co
25.72
-0.59
-2.24%
SMG
Scotts Miracle-Gro Company
61.39
-3.94
-6.03%
ICL
Icl
5.39
-0.12
-2.18%

Cf Industries Holdings Corporate Events

Business Operations and Strategy
CF Industries JV Solidified as JERA Option Expires
Positive
Jan 9, 2026

On April 8, 2025, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. announced the formation of Blue Point Number One, LLC, a joint venture with Japan’s largest energy company JERA Co., Inc. and global investment and trading firm Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to construct, produce and market low-carbon ammonia, with ownership split 40% to CF Industries, 35% to JERA and 25% to Mitsui. As part of the original agreement, JERA held a conditional option to reduce its stake to as low as 20% with CF Industries required to increase its ownership by the same amount, but that option has now expired unexercised, clarifying the long-term ownership structure and signaling continued commitment from all three partners to the low-carbon ammonia project.

The most recent analyst rating on (CF) stock is a Sell with a $78.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cf Industries Holdings stock, see the CF Stock Forecast page.

Executive/Board Changes
CF Industries appoints interim CFO amid leadership transition
Neutral
Jan 7, 2026

On January 5, 2026, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. and its executive vice president and chief financial officer, Gregory D. Cameron, agreed that Cameron will leave the company effective February 15, 2026, marking a planned leadership transition in the finance function. On January 6, 2026, the company named long-time vice president, corporate controller and chief accounting officer, Richard A. Hoker, as interim CFO effective the same date, while it conducts a search for a permanent successor. Hoker, a seasoned finance executive with prior experience at Sara Lee and Coopers & Lybrand and credentials including CPA and an MBA in finance and accounting, steps into the interim role without any related-party concerns disclosed, and existing compensation arrangements for both executives remain unchanged as the company navigates this transition in its senior financial leadership.

The most recent analyst rating on (CF) stock is a Hold with a $88.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cf Industries Holdings stock, see the CF Stock Forecast page.

Private Placements and Financing
CF Industries Completes $1 Billion Senior Notes Offering
Positive
Nov 26, 2025

On November 26, 2025, CF Industries, Inc., a subsidiary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc., completed a public offering of $1 billion in 5.300% Senior Notes due 2035. The offering, fully guaranteed by the parent company, was executed under an Indenture agreement with Wilmington Trust and involved several covenants and restrictions. The issuance aims to strengthen the company’s financial position and provide flexibility for future operations.

The most recent analyst rating on (CF) stock is a Buy with a $100.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Cf Industries Holdings stock, see the CF Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jan 10, 2026