Earnings Preview: What to Expect From CF Industries’ Report

Company Overview - CF Industries Holdings, Inc. is valued at a market cap of $13.5 billion and is a leading global manufacturer and distributor of nitrogen-based fertilizer and hydrogen products essential for modern agriculture and industrial applications [1] - The company is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, and operates large-scale manufacturing complexes in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, producing core products such as ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), and ammonium nitrate, along with related chemicals [1] Earnings Expectations - CF Industries is expected to announce its fiscal Q4 earnings for 2025 soon, with analysts predicting a profit of $2.53 per share, which represents a 33.9% increase from $1.89 per share in the same quarter last year [2] - For fiscal 2025, analysts forecast a profit of $8.95 per share, indicating a 32.8% increase from $6.74 per share in fiscal 2024, although EPS is expected to decline by 18.8% year over year to $7.27 in fiscal 2026 [3] Stock Performance - Over the past 52 weeks, CF's stock has declined by 10.8%, underperforming the S&P 500 Index's increase of 16.9% and the Materials Select Sector SPDR Fund's rise of 10.9% [4] - The decline in CF's share price has been attributed to cyclical and sector-specific pressures, including the normalization of fertilizer prices, input cost volatility (especially natural gas), and occasional earnings or margin misses that have affected investor sentiment [5] Analyst Ratings - Wall Street analysts maintain a cautious stance on CF's stock, with an overall "Hold" rating; among 19 analysts, four recommend "Strong Buy," 14 suggest "Hold," and one indicates a "Moderate Sell" rating [6] - The mean price target for CF is $89.94, suggesting a potential upside of 3.7% from current levels [6]