CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF Quick QuoteCF - Free Report) swung to a profit of $63 million or 27 cents per share in the first quarter of 2018 as against a loss of $23 million or 10 cents recorded in the year-ago period. Earnings for the reported quarter exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 23 cents.

 

Net sales decreased roughly 7.7% year over year to $957 million in the quarter owing to lower sales volumes across most segments, partly offset by increased average selling prices across most segments. Sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,051 million. 

 

 

 

 

Net sales for the Ammonia segment dipped roughly 24.8% year over year to $212 million in the reported quarter. Ammonia sales volumes fell 27.8% year over year to 664,000 tons owing to unfavorable weather that led to a delay in the start of the spring fertilizer application season in the Southern Plains and the Midwest. Average selling prices rose 3.9% year over year to $319 per ton due to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance, partly offset by lower sales volumes.

 

Sales for the Granular Urea segment rose roughly 10.9% year over year to $264 million. Sales volumes increased roughly 14% year over year to 982,000 tons, due to higher production volume from the company's Port Neal Nitrogen Complex. Average selling prices for granular urea rose 8.5% year over year to $269 per ton owing to the impact of a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance.

 

Sales at the urea ammonium nitrate solution (UAN) segment fell 10.7% year over year to $283 million. UAN sales volume dipped roughly 9.7% year over year to 1,669,000 in the quarter due to unfavorable weather that led to a delay in the start of the spring application season in the Southern Plains. Average selling prices were essentially flat year over year at $170 per ton.

 

Sales at the ammonium nitrate segment fell 20% year over year to $100 million. Sales volumes fell about 26.6% to 417,000 tons as a result of unfavorable weather that delayed the start of the spring application season in the Northern Hemisphere. Average selling prices increased 9.1% year over year to $240 per ton due to a tighter global nitrogen supply and demand balance.

 

 

CF Industries’ cash and cash equivalents were $936 million at the end of first quarter 2018, down 28.9% year over year.

 

Long-term debt was $4,693 million, down around 18.8% year over year.

 

 

For the first half of 2018, CF Industries anticipates demand in North America for nitrogen fertilizer to be on par with the first half of 2017. It expects 88-90 million acres of corn, 46 million acres of wheat and 13 million acres of cotton to be planted in the United States, coupled with 25 million acres of wheat and 21 million acres of canola in Canada. The company expects a year-over-year increase in nitrogen imports into Brazil owing to the permanent closure of two Petrobras urea plants in the country in the coming months, partly offset by lower projected corn plantings.

 

The company expects capital expenditures for new activities to be in the range of around $400 to $450 million in 2018, factoring in higher number of plant turnarounds compared with 2017.

 

 

Shares of CF Industries have moved up 44.3% over a year, outperforming the 31.2% gain recorded by its industry.

 

 

 

 

 

CF Industries currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

 

Some other top-ranked stocks in the basic materials space are Kronos Worldwide Inc. (KRO Quick QuoteKRO - Free Report) , Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLK Quick QuoteWLK - Free Report) and Steel Dynamics Inc. (STLD Quick QuoteSTLD - Free Report) . All three stocks sport a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

 

Kronos has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 5%. Its shares have gained 33.4% over a year.

 

Westlake Chemical has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 12.18%. Its shares have gained 70.15% over a year.

 

Steel Dynamics has an expected long-term earnings growth rate of 12%. Its shares have moved up 23.65% over a year.

 

 

Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.

 

New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.