Hello, Thanks for signing up for MarketBeat Daily Ratings—we’re excited to have you on board. Every weekday, you’ll get a curated summary of new “Buy” and “Sell” ratings from Wall Street’s top-rated analysts, the latest stock news, and bonus investing content—all delivered straight to your inbox. You’re just two quick steps away from completing your sign-up: 1. Make sure our emails go to your inbox Gmail users:
Mobile: Tap the three dots (…) in the top right and select Move to Inbox or Move to Primary
Desktop: Click the folder icon at the top and select Move to Inbox or Primary Apple Mail users:
Tap our email address at the top (next to From: on mobile), then select Add to VIP Other providers:
Reply to this message and add newsletters@analystratings.net to your contacts 2. Confirm your subscription Click this link to confirm your subscription. This verifies your account and ensures you receive your newsletters without interruption instead of getting stuck in your spam filter. Confirm your subscription here. After you confirm, feel free to download our popular free report, "7 Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever" with this link. Thanks again for subscribing—we look forward to being part of your investing journey. 
Matthew Paulson
Founder and CEO, MarketBeat. P.S. If you didn’t mean to subscribe, no problem—you can unsubscribe here.
Special Report Not Just Oil: 3 Fertilizer Stocks Boosted by Hormuz ClosureReported by Dan Schmidt. Posted: 3/19/2026. 
Key Points - Crude oil isn't the only commodity seeing its price soar due to the Strait of Hormuz closure.
- Many plant nutrients required for fertilizer, like nitrogen, phosphate, and potash, are produced in the Persian Gulf and shipped through the Strait.
- With an estimated 30% of global fertilizer stocks now stuck in transit, North American producers are reaping the benefits of high prices and low inputs.
- Special Report: Elon's "Hidden" Company
Soaring gas prices are the most visible reminder of the war in Iran, but crude oil isn't the only commodity moving through the world's crucial waterway. Fertilizer inputs such as urea, potash, ammonia and sulfur are produced across the Persian Gulf, and an estimated 30–35% of traded plant nutrients rely on the contested Strait of Hormuz for transit. While fertilizer prices usually aren't a top concern for U.S. consumers, disruptions could create problems for the 2026 spring planting season in the Northern Hemisphere, which is just beginning. The disruption has also created a powerful tailwind for domestic fertilizer producers, which can capture large margin gains thanks to the supply cutoff. The Strait of Hormuz Crisis Is Reshaping Global Fertilizer Markets On a typical day you could sail across the Strait of Hormuz in less time than it takes to drive through downtown Manhattan, but its narrowness makes it a major chokepoint. The corridor is only about 21 miles long and lies between Iran, Oman and the UAE, acting as the primary shipping exit from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Now that Iran has effectively made the Strait impassable, roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day, about 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and large volumes of petrochemicals have been stranded. While the energy sector gets the headlines, the closure has also stranded about a third of the global fertilizer supply, including these key inputs: - Nitrogen fertilizers – Urea and ammonia are the nitrogen-based products most affected. Ten percent of global urea supply comes from a single facility in Qatar. About 35% of traded urea and 30% of traded ammonia normally transit the Strait; that traffic has now stalled. The supply shock is already being felt: New Orleans urea prices have reached as high as $680 per metric ton.
- Phosphate and potash – Phosphate-based fertilizers rely on sulfur, another crucial input shipped through the Persian Gulf, and sulfur prices have skyrocketed since the war began. Potash inventories have also declined sharply year over year. The phosphorus shortage prompted the Trump administration to invoke the Defense Production Act to boost domestic supplies of the chemical, which also has military applications.
3 Stocks That Could Benefit From Higher Fertilizer Prices With global supplies of these nutrients disrupted, companies that produce outside the Persian Gulf—especially those based in North America, where natural gas input costs haven't risen as quickly—are positioned to benefit. Three firms have already rallied on the shortage; if the Strait remains closed, their shares could move higher. Nutrien Ltd.: The Safe and Diversified Fertilizer Investment Canadian fertilizer producer Nutrien Ltd. (NYSE: NTR) is probably the safest way to play the price shock. The company has a roughly $37 billion market cap and produces all three key plant nutrients: nitrogen, phosphate and potash. Controlling about 20% of the global potash market and operating more than 1,500 locations across North America, Nutrien can capture margins regardless of which input is spiking. Anticipating an extended supply shock, analysts at Wells Fargo and Jefferies upgraded NTR from Neutral to Buy last week, with price targets of $100 and $96, respectively. NTR shares are up more than 25% year-to-date, but a recent pullback in the sector could offer an entry point. The uptrend remains intact with support near the 50-day moving average, although the Relative Strength Index (RSI) recently moved into overbought territory, prompting some profit-taking. Momentum should persist so long as shortages continue. 
CF Industries: Margin Boost From the Nitrogen/Natural Gas Spread CF Industries Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CF) is a pure-play nitrogen producer, manufacturing urea, ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). CF has a structural advantage in its terminal locations and access to relatively affordable U.S. natural gas. That allows the company to produce nitrogen-based products at lower input cost and sell into a global market where European and Asian suppliers face higher input prices because of constrained LNG supplies. The result: competitive pricing overseas while expanding domestic margins. CF shares are up more than 60% YTD, making the stock one of the S&P 500's top performers. The bullish technical momentum remains strong, and given the nitrogen price catalyst, a recent ~10% pullback looks like routine profit-taking rather than a change in trend. 
Mosaic Co.: Riskier Value Play With Upside Potential The Mosaic Company (NYSE: MOS) is a riskier profile within the group because of its dependence on sulfur, much of which is normally transported through the Strait of Hormuz. Sulfur is a key input for phosphate-based fertilizers, which constrains Mosaic's ability to expand margins despite rising phosphate and potash prices. The company is also grappling with operational headwinds after a large EPS miss in its Q4 2025 earnings report that sent the stock down about 5% the following day. MOS shares have gained roughly 18% YTD, lagging peers, but the stock could catch up if Mosaic addresses its operational issues. Technicals point to a consolidation between the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, and a recent bullish MACD crossover suggests the stock may be poised to bounce higher off the 50-day. 
| 
Post a Comment
Post a Comment