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CF vs. CX: CF Industries vs. CEMEX Stock Comparison

How do CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX) both fall under the Materials industry group, but CF is classified in Chemicals while CX is classified in Construction Materials.

CF Industries (CF) trades as ordinary local shares, while CEMEX (CX) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Company profile comparison for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
Profile ItemCFCX
NameCF Industries Holdings, Inc.Cemex S.A.B. de C.V. Sponsored ADR
Country/RegionUnited StatesMexico
GICS SectorMaterialsMaterials
GICS Industry GroupMaterialsMaterials
GICS IndustryChemicalsConstruction Materials
GICS Sub-IndustryFertilizers & Agricultural ChemicalsConstruction Materials
Market Capitalization17.46 billion USD15.47 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateAugust 11, 2005September 15, 1999
Security TypeCommon StockADR

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CF
CX
GSPC
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Total Return (1Y)49.36%7.57%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)17.00%17.84%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)16.09%10.81%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CF
CX
GSPC
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

CEMEX (CX) has an aggressive beta of 1.57, indicating higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, while CF Industries (CF) is defensive at 0.56 and tends to be less market-sensitive — they sit on opposite ends of the beta spectrum.

Risk profile metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)43.66%36.82%
Beta (5Y)0.561.57
Max Drawdown (5Y)-48.36%-53.08%
Avg. Volume (3M)2.49M7.01M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CF and CX are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.030.09
Sortino Ratio (1Y)1.590.14

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

CF Industries (CF) at 30.86% sits in the top ROE quartile, while CEMEX (CX) at 5.17% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CF.

CF

Materials industry group

30.86%

Max
52.88%
CF
30.86%
Q3
19.49%
Median
8.76%
Q1
-3.41%
Min
-32.81%

CX

Materials industry group

5.17%

Max
52.88%
Q3
19.49%
Median
8.76%
CX
5.17%
Q1
-3.41%
Min
-32.81%
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their ROE against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

CF Industries (CF) at 27.48% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of CEMEX (CX) at 3.60%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CF

Materials industry group

27.48%

Max
38.66%
CF
27.48%
Q3
15.98%
Median
5.28%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-20.40%

CX

Materials industry group

3.60%

Max
38.66%
Q3
15.98%
Median
5.28%
CX
3.60%
Q1
0.00%
Min
-20.40%
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their net margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

CF Industries (CF) at 34.36% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of CEMEX (CX) at 14.77%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

CF

Materials industry group

34.36%

Max
66.70%
CF
34.36%
Q3
28.92%
Median
12.56%
Q1
3.28%
Min
-14.07%

CX

Materials industry group

14.77%

Max
66.70%
Q3
28.92%
CX
14.77%
Median
12.56%
Q1
3.28%
Min
-14.07%
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their operating margin against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
ROE (TTM)30.86%5.17%
ROA (TTM)12.61%5.07%
Net Margin (TTM)27.48%3.60%
Operating Margin (TTM)34.36%14.77%
Gross Margin (TTM)42.52%33.48%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both CF Industries (CF) at 19.34% and CEMEX (CX) at 0.43% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both CF Industries (CF) at 33.09% and CEMEX (CX) at 2.35% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Revenue Growth (YoY)19.34%0.43%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)-14.12%3.13%
EPS Growth (YoY)33.09%2.35%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-18.19%4.14%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

CF Industries (CF) at 2.98 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while CEMEX (CX) at 0.95 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CX.

CF

Materials industry group

2.98

Max
5.96
Q3
3.30
CF
2.98
Median
2.24
Q1
1.45
Min
0.16

CX

Materials industry group

0.95

Max
5.96
Q3
3.30
Median
2.24
Q1
1.45
CX
0.95
Min
0.16
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their current ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both CF Industries (CF) at 0.41 and CEMEX (CX) at 0.46 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CF

Materials industry group

0.41

Max
1.98
Q3
0.89
Median
0.47
CF
0.41
Q1
0.13
Min
0.00

CX

Materials industry group

0.46

Max
1.98
Q3
0.89
Median
0.47
CX
0.46
Q1
0.13
Min
0.00
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Current Ratio (MRQ)2.980.95
Debt / Equity (MRQ)0.410.46
Net Debt / EBITDA0.211.60

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

CEMEX (CX) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile CF Industries (CF) reports a yield of 1.77%, ranking against industry peers normally.

CF

Materials industry group

1.77%

Max
4.52%
Q3
1.85%
CF
1.77%
Median
0.38%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

CX

Materials industry group

0.00%

Max
4.52%
Q3
1.85%
Median
0.38%
CX
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

CF Industries (CF) at 14.81% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.86% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

CF

Materials industry group

14.81%

Max
83.62%
Q3
41.37%
CF
14.81%
Median
9.54%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

CX

Materials industry group

67.86%

Max
83.62%
CX
67.86%
Q3
41.37%
Median
9.54%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.77%0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)14.81%67.86%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

CF Industries (CF) at 8.42 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while CEMEX (CX) at 67.00 trades above its peer range — a wide earnings-valuation gap relative to industry peers.

CF

Materials industry group

8.42

Max
59.00
Q3
32.93
Median
18.82
Q1
11.96
CF
8.42
Min
3.93

CX

Materials industry group

67.00

CX
67.00
Max
59.00
Q3
32.93
Median
18.82
Q1
11.96
Min
3.93
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both CF Industries (CF) at 2.20 and CEMEX (CX) at 0.89 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

CF

Materials industry group

2.20

Max
9.62
Q3
4.34
CF
2.20
Median
1.87
Q1
0.73
Min
0.00

CX

Materials industry group

0.89

Max
9.62
Q3
4.34
Median
1.87
CX
0.89
Q1
0.73
Min
0.00
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

CEMEX (CX) at 1.20 sits in the lower P/B ratio quartile against book while CF Industries (CF) at 3.10 is valued near its industry’s middle — CX is cheaper on assets, though weigh it against ROE and asset quality.

CF

Materials industry group

3.10

Max
6.59
Q3
3.55
CF
3.10
Median
2.08
Q1
1.26
Min
-0.17

CX

Materials industry group

1.20

Max
6.59
Q3
3.55
Median
2.08
Q1
1.26
CX
1.20
Min
-0.17
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CF Industries (CF) vs. CEMEX (CX): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Materials industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for CF Industries (CF) and CEMEX (CX)
MetricCFCX
P/E Ratio (TTM)8.4267.00
P/S Ratio (TTM)2.200.89
P/B Ratio (MRQ)3.101.20
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)9.10%8.86%