CF Industries (CF) shares rallied 13.2% in the last trading session to close at $136. This move can be attributable to notable volume with a higher number of shares being traded than in a typical session. This compares to the stock's 23.9% gain over the past four weeks.
CF’s rally reflects the surge in nitrogen fertilizer prices amid supply disruptions stemming from the war in the Middle East. Urea prices have shot up amid supply concerns following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical supply corridor, by Iran.
This fertilizer maker is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.12 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +14.6%. Revenues are expected to be $1.74 billion, up 4.7% from the year-ago quarter.
Earnings and revenue growth expectations certainly give a good sense of the potential strength in a stock, but empirical research shows that trends in earnings estimate revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements.
For CF, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 9.1% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. And a positive trend in earnings estimate revision usually translates into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on CF going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.
The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>
CF is a member of the Zacks Fertilizers industry. One other stock in the same industry, Nutrien (NTR), finished the last trading session 5.8% higher at $83.94. NTR has returned 8.5% over the past month.
For Nutrien, the consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at $0.49. This represents a change of +345.5% from what the company reported a year ago. Nutrien currently has a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
