CF Industries Holdings, Inc. vs Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. — how do they compare? CF Industries Holdings, Inc. trades at $117.8 (market cap $18.38B), while Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. trades at $47.82 (market cap $97.27B). The key difference: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. is far larger — about 5.3× CF Industries Holdings, Inc.'s market cap, and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. pays the higher dividend (3.76%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CF | CNQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $18.38B | $97.27B |
Sector | Basic Materials | Energy |
52-Week High | $137.55 | $50.55 |
52-Week Low | $76.08 | $29.31 |
Enterprise Value | $19.52B | $107.68B |
Dividend Yield | 1.98% | 3.76% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CF Industries Holdings (CF) trades at $114.35, down 2.04% today, reflecting a bearish technical trend with support at $112 and resistance at $116. The company reported mixed Q2 2026 earnings, missing EPS estimates at $4.73 versus $5.63 expected, but revenue grew 17.6% year-over-year on strong nitrogen pricing. Fundamentals remain solid with a P/E of 8.48 and net income margin of 27.12%, while cash flow improved to $368 million in 2025. Recent news highlights institutional buying and nitrogen market tightness supporting mid-cycle earnings.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic; CF benefits from robust nitrogen demand and pricing, with analyst consensus target at $119.60 implying upside. Risks include volume volatility from plant outages and debt levels, but high ROE (39.19%) and dividend payments signal financial health. Investors may find value at current levels if operational execution aligns with favorable industry conditions.
Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) trades at $45.51, up 0.13% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving average signals. The company delivered impressive Q2 2026 results with EPS of $1.53 beating estimates by 7%, driven by record production and operational efficiency. Financials show robust profitability with 22.87% net margin and 26.69% ROE, while valuation remains attractive at 11.35 P/E. Recent news highlights dividend consistency and institutional accumulation.
CNQ presents a compelling investment case with strong fundamentals, consistent earnings beats, and shareholder returns through dividends. Key opportunities include production growth guidance increases and favorable oil pricing exposure. Risks include commodity price volatility and rising capital expenditures. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 75% buy ratings supporting upside potential.
Trailing returns across standard periods
CF Industries is a leading producer and distributor of nitrogen fertilizers. The company operates seven nitrogen facilities in North America and holds joint venture interests in further production capacity in the United Kingdom and Trinidad and Tobago. CF makes nitrogen primarily using low-cost U.S. natural gas as its feedstock, making CF one of the lowest-cost nitrogen producers globally.
Read more on CF →Canadian Natural Resources is one of the largest oil and natural gas producers in western Canada, supplemented by operations in the North Sea and Offshore Africa. The company's portfolio includes light and medium oil, heavy oil, bitumen, synthetic oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas. Production averaged 1.16 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2020, and the company estimates that it holds over 11.5 billion boe of proven and probable crude oil and natural gas reserves.
Read more on CNQ →