CF INDUSTRIES HOLDINGS, INC. vs NUTRIEN LTD., two Chemicals stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
CF Industries and Nutrien both sell crop nutrients, but the shapes differ. CF makes nitrogen and runs concentrated and profitable, a 28.66% net margin, 25.71% return on equity, and a 9.93% free-cash yield at a 9.52 earnings multiple. Nutrien blends fertilizer with ag retail, which trades peak margin for steadiness: an 8.54% net margin and 9.06% return on equity, a 7.17% free-cash yield, no net debt, and a lower 1.17 price-to-book against CF's 1.98. Both look inexpensive on cash. The split is focus versus diversification, CF taking the full swing of nitrogen prices while Nutrien's retail arm damps the ride.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | CF | NTR |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $116.83 | $65.42 |
| Market cap | $18.1B | $31.8B |
| Sector | Chemicals | Chemicals |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| P/E | 10.5 | 14.0 |
| P/B | 2.19 | 1.25 |
| P/S | 2.44 | 1.18 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7.1 | 5.1 |
| Revenue growth | +20.9% | +1.6% |
| Gross margin | 37.6% | 31.1% |
| Operating margin | 43.5% | 13.9% |
| Net margin | 28.7% | 8.5% |
| Return on equity | 25.7% | 9.1% |
| Return on assets | 14.5% | 4.4% |
| Return on invested capital | 18.9% | 11.1% |
| FCF yield | 9.0% | 6.7% |
| Dividend yield | 1.7% | — |
| Debt / equity | 0.39 | 0.00 |
| Current ratio | 3.54 | 1.34 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 7.32 | 1.87 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 5 / 9 | 8 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.