CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) AI Stock Analysis

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. manufactures and distributes hydrogen and nitrogen products essential for industrial applications, emissions control, energy, and fertilizer production. Its primary offerings include anhydrous ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate. The company also produces diesel exhaust fluid, nitric acid, urea liquor, aqua ammonia, and compound fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to boost agricultural productivity. Founded in 1946 and based in Deerfield, Illinois, CF Industries distributes its products globally to cooperatives, independent fertilizer distributors, traders, wholesalers, and industrial users.

Annual revenue fluctuated over recent periods, moving from $6.54B in FY2021 to a peak of $11.19B in FY2022, before falling 40.7% to $6.63B in FY2023 and 10.5% to $5.94B in FY2024. In FY2025, revenue recovered 19.3% to $7.08B, accompanied by an operating margin of 33.4% and net income of $1.46B. For the 5-year period from FY2020 to FY2025, revenue grew at a compound annual growth rate of 11.4%. In the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue increased 17.6% year-over-year, while quarterly earnings surged 99.6%. Over the trailing twelve months, revenue reached $7.74B with an operating margin of 49.3% and diluted earnings per share of $13.48.

As of June 30, 2026, CF Industries held $2.48B in cash and short-term investments against total debt of $3.61B, resulting in net debt of $1.13B. The company maintained strong liquidity with a current ratio of 4.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63 against shareholders' equity of $5.75B. In FY2025, operating cash flow reached $2.75B and free cash flow was $1.80B. Cash capital deployment in FY2025 included $950.0M for capital expenditures, $1.38B for share buybacks, and $326.0M for dividends paid, contributing to a 28.6% reduction in shares outstanding over five years.

CF trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 9.0x and a forward P/E of 12.2x, both below the median of its S&P 500 Basic Materials peers of 32.2x and 15.3x, respectively. Its enterprise value to EBITDA ratio stands at 5.1x, compared to the peer median of 14.9x, while its price-to-sales multiple is 2.4x versus 2.5x for peers. Over the past year, the stock returned 48.6%, compared to 16.8% for the S&P 500. Over five years, the shares delivered a 127.4% return, outperforming the benchmark gain of 83.0%.

CF Industries provides an annual forward dividend of $2.40 per share, representing a dividend yield of 1.99% as of October 16, 2026. The company has paid dividends for 22 consecutive years with a 5-year annualized dividend growth rate of 10.8%. Its payout ratio stands at 17.2%, with dividends distributed on a quarterly frequency and the last ex-dividend date on November 16, 2026.

Wall Street coverage consists of 3 Strong Buy, 3 Buy, 13 Hold, 1 Sell, and 2 Strong Sell recommendations. The mean price target is $127.69, which is 5.7% above the last close of $120.85. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, consensus estimates project revenue of $8.28B and EPS of $15.20, representing 69.5% annual earnings growth. For the following fiscal year, 11 analysts anticipate EPS to decline 26.2% to $11.21 on revenue of $7.35B. The company beat EPS estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, and its next earnings date is November 4, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: CF income statement, CF balance sheet, CF key metrics, CF analyst forecast, CF chart. See the CF stock overview for the latest quote and news.