CF Industries Holdings (NYSE:CF) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
CF Industries Holdings Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
CF Industries Holdings Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for CF Industries Holdings's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
CF Industries Holdings Forward PE Ratio Chart
CF Industries Holdings Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
9.53
32.26
113.64
15.75
19.01
28.49
7.86
5.99
11.68
14.56
10.79
CF Industries Holdings Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
9.53
8.82
17.51
15.08
32.26
54.05
40.98
113.64
36.63
50.76
25.06
15.75
18.94
24.33
15.72
19.01
14.43
17.70
17.89
28.49
20.70
19.01
12.61
7.86
8.30
4.22
6.85
5.99
5.97
7.60
11.48
11.68
13.51
12.22
15.15
14.56
13.10
12.93
13.45
10.79
12.29
CF vs MOS, SMG, FMC: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Agricultural Inputs subindustry, CF Industries Holdings's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
CF Industries Holdings Forward PE Ratio vs Agriculture Industry
For the Agriculture industry and Basic Materials sector, CF Industries Holdings's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where CF Industries Holdings's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
CF Industries Holdings Forward PE Ratio Calculation
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
CF Industries Holdings (CF) has a Forward PE Ratio of 7.03 as of Jul. 10, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on CF Industries Holdings and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, CF Industries Holdings ranks #11 out of 90 companies in the Agriculture industry, placing it in the top 12.2%.
Is CF Industries Holdings' Forward PE Ratio too high?
CF Industries Holdings' current Forward PE Ratio is 7.03. The Agriculture industry median Forward PE Ratio is 11.18. CF Industries Holdings' value of 7.03 is 37.1% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, CF Industries Holdings ranks #11 out of 90 companies in the Agriculture industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, CF Industries Holdings has a GF Score™ of 70/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does CF Industries Holdings' Forward PE Ratio compare to MOS and SMG?
According to the Agriculture industry distribution chart, CF Industries Holdings ranks #11 out of 90 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places CF Industries Holdings in the top 12% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 11.18. CF Industries Holdings' value of 7.03 is 37.1% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for an Agriculture company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Agriculture companies is 11.18, based on 90 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. CF Industries Holdings's current Forward PE Ratio of 7.03 is 37.1% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on CF Industries Holdings and its competitors. For the Agriculture industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 11.18 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. CF Industries Holdings's current Forward PE Ratio is 7.03. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is CF Industries Holdings stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, CF Industries Holdings (CF) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $116.08, compared to a current price of $116.92 — trading 0.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 7.03 and 37.1% below the Agriculture industry median of 11.18. CF Industries Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 70/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For CF Industries Holdings (CF), the current Forward PE Ratio is 7.03 as of Jul. 10, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is CF Industries Holdings (CF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, CF Industries Holdings stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $116.92 is trading 0.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $116.08.
GuruFocus considers CF Industries Holdings to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for CF:
Forward PE Ratio: 7.03
GF Value™: $116.08 vs. price of $116.92 (0.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 37.1% below the Agriculture median (#11 of 90)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
CF Industries is a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen, which is primarily used in fertilizers. The company operates nitrogen manufacturing plants primarily in North America. CF also produces nitrogen in the United Kingdom and holds a joint venture interest in a nitrogen production facility in Trinidad and Tobago. CF makes nitrogen primarily using low-cost US natural gas as its feedstock, making the company one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally. It is also investing in carbon-free blue and green ammonia, which can be used as an alternative fuel to hydrogen or as a means to transport hydrogen.
70GF Score
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