For the quarter ended March 2025, CF Industries (CF) reported revenue of $1.66 billion, up 13.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.85, compared to $1.03 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +9.34% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.52 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.47, the EPS surprise was +25.85%.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how CF performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Average selling price per product ton - Ammonia: $454 versus the five-analyst average estimate of $443.05.
- Sales volume by product - UAN (urea ammonium nitrate): 1,875 KTon versus the five-analyst average estimate of 1,653.83 KTon.
- Sales volume by product - Granular Urea: 1,125 KTon versus the five-analyst average estimate of 1,128.25 KTon.
- Sales volume by product - Ammonia: 1,146 KTon compared to the 914.12 KTon average estimate based on five analysts.
- Tons of product sold - Total: 5,004 KTon versus the five-analyst average estimate of 4,786.64 KTon.
- Average selling price per product ton - UAN (urea ammonium nitrate): $251 versus the five-analyst average estimate of $248.76.
- Average selling price per product ton - Granular Urea: $390 versus $380.58 estimated by five analysts on average.
- Net Sales- Ammonia: $520 million compared to the $407.44 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +29.4% year over year.
- Net Sales- Granular Urea: $439 million compared to the $428.96 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +7.9% year over year.
- Net Sales- UAN (urea ammonium nitrate): $470 million compared to the $414.59 million average estimate based on five analysts. The reported number represents a change of +10.6% year over year.
- Net Sales- AN (ammonium nitrate): $101 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $113.40 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -11.4%.
- Net Sales- Other: $133 million compared to the $139.18 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +9% year over year.
Shares of CF have returned +19.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +10.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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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.
