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Deputy ag Secretary to Newsmax: economic benefits in rural US. Jim Thomas Sat, October 3, 2026 at 8:23 AM PDT * Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden highlights economic gains in rural areas, including an upward revision of GDP, a new Arizona critical minerals mine, and fertilizer plants coming online. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Stephen Vaden told Newsmax that rural voters will see economic gains before Election Day, pointing to an upward revision of GDP, a new Arizona critical minerals mine, and fertilizer plants coming online. The interview on America Right Now aired about five weeks before the Nov. 3 midterms as new polling showed economic strain in Republican-leaning rural areas. A KFF/AP survey of 2,241 rural registered voters, conducted Aug. 12-24 with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, found 48% of rural voters approve of President Donald Trump's job performance while 57% disapprove of his handling of the economy. Vaden pushed back on headline poll numbers, arguing voters who back the administration's policies are starting to see results. "The majority of voters who tend to vote in favor of the president's policies actually say that they are beginning to see economic benefit from the president's administration," he said. He pointed first to the Commerce Department's upward revision of second-quarter GDP growth. The Bureau of Economic Analysis raised its final estimate for April through June to 2.2% from the previously reported 1.5%, and lifted first-quarter growth to 2.5% from 2.1%, citing stronger investment, consumer spending, and government spending. Vaden also pointed to USDA's role in advancing the Hermosa Critical Minerals Project in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, which he called the first critical minerals mine permitted in the country. He described it as a multibillion-dollar investment projected to create more than 4,000 jobs at above-average local wages. The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council has put the investment at $3.3 billion with approximately 900 direct jobs projected at twice the local average income. On fertilizer, Vaden cited two new facilities expected to deliver 2.7 million metric tons of annual capacity. He joined Secretary Brooke Rollins at the Aug. 26 groundbreaking of Blue Point One, a $3.7 billion CF Industries ammonia plant in Louisiana projected to produce 1.4 million metric tons when it begins operations in 2029. A separate CHS Inc. and OCP Group phosphate project announced the same week targets up to 1.3 million metric tons of annual capacity, also in Louisiana. Vaden acknowledged the timelines. "It's taken a little while to get these things online, because you just can't have a new plant proposal in 30 days, but we're beginning to see the benefits come online and breaking ground on projects that will make a real difference," he said. GET TODAY NEWSMAX+: NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching! Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S. Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty - and many more! Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system - Go Here Now BEST OFFER: Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials. Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more! Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app. Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!

Iowa farmers are grappling with rising fertilizer costs while towns face mounting water treatment expenses, as major fertilizer producers report soaring profits. Food & Water Watch found CF Industries and Nutrien increased combined sales by 19% from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026, whilst net earnings jumped 120%. These two companies control 55% of US fertilizer production. Surface-water nitrate pollution in Iowa is closely linked to heavy fertilizer use. Nitrogen that crops don't absorb enters drinking water sources, creating health concerns and raising treatment costs. Des Moines Water Works' nitrate-removal facility costs $10,000 daily to operate. The plant had already run for nearly 200 days this year, totalling almost $2 million. The Department of Justice is investigating whether pricing practices in the fertilizer industry violated antitrust laws.

Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchases new shares in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. $CF. August 31, 2026 Key points. * Quantitative Investment Management purchased 31,846 CF Industries shares worth approximately $3.45 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 93.06% of the company. * CF Industries and its partners broke ground on the roughly $3.7 billion Blue Point One low-carbon ammonia plant in Louisiana, targeting annual production of 1.4 million metric tons by 2029. * The company's latest quarterly results missed estimates, with adjusted EPS of $4.73 versus the $5.63 consensus and revenue of $2.22 billion versus $2.45 billion expected. CF raised its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share, while analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" rating. * Five stocks we like better than CF Industries. Quantitative Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 31,846 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $3,447,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fideuram Intesa Sanpaolo Private Banking S.P.A. purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $11,556,000. Teamwork Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CF Industries in the second quarter worth $10,108,000. S&CO Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CF Industries in the second quarter worth $2,630,000. Twin Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of CF Industries during the fourth quarter valued at $714,000. Finally, AIA Group Ltd purchased a new position in shares of CF Industries in the 1st quarter worth about $3,428,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.06% of the company's stock. Key CF Industries news. Here are the key news stories impacting CF Industries this week: * CF Industries and its partners broke ground on the roughly $3.7 billion Blue Point One low-carbon ammonia plant in Louisiana. The project is designed to produce approximately 1.4 million metric tons annually, with production targeted for 2029. It could strengthen domestic fertilizer supply while positioning CF in the emerging lower-carbon ammonia market. * Investor Kevin Simpson disclosed that he is buying more CF Industries, describing the fertilizer producer as an attractive way to participate in U.S. reindustrialization. His endorsement may support sentiment around CF's valuation, domestic manufacturing exposure and expected demand for nitrogen products. * Coverage contrasted CF's progress with setbacks affecting Woodside's blue-ammonia project, highlighting CF's ability to advance its own lower-carbon ammonia strategy. * The Louisiana project represents a major multiyear capital commitment, so investors will likely monitor construction costs, financing, regulatory support and whether low-carbon ammonia demand develops as expected before the planned 2029 startup. CF Industries price performance. Shares of CF Industries stock opened at $125.75 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $19.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 4.32 and a current ratio of 4.86. The stock's fifty day moving average is $118.18 and its 200 day moving average is $117.03. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a one year low of $75.42 and a one year high of $141.96. CF Industries (NYSE:CF - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $4.73 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $5.63 by ($0.90). CF Industries had a return on equity of 24.41% and a net margin of 27.12%.The company had revenue of $2.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.45 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.37 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 13.7 earnings per share for the current year. CF Industries increases dividend. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, August 14th will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is a positive change from CF Industries's previous quarterly dividend of $0.50. CF Industries's payout ratio is currently 17.79%. Analysts set new price targets. A number of research firms have weighed in on CF. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of CF Industries from $133.00 to $115.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Bank of America increased their price objective on CF Industries from $103.00 to $106.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price target on shares of CF Industries from $140.00 to $120.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, June 15th. Zacks Research cut shares of CF Industries from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 15th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of CF Industries from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 18th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $116.56. About CF Industries. CF Industries Holdings, Inc is a leading global manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products for agricultural and industrial customers. The company specializes in the production of ammonia, granular urea, urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), nitric acid and ammonium nitrate, which serve as key inputs for fertilizer blends, industrial chemicals and other downstream applications. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, CF Industries operates production facilities and distribution terminals across North America and the United Kingdom. This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected]. Continue following MarketBeat Before you consider CF Industries, you'll want to hear this. MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and CF Industries wasn't on the list. While CF Industries currently has a Hold rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys. 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