CF Industries Holdings Inc (CF) saw its stock plummet 5.44% in after-hours trading on Wednesday following the release of its second-quarter earnings report. The fertilizer manufacturer's results painted a mixed picture, with earnings per share falling short of analyst expectations despite a revenue beat.

The company reported second-quarter earnings per share (EPS) of $2.37, up from $2.30 in the same period last year but below the FactSet consensus estimate of $2.50. This earnings miss appears to be the primary driver behind the stock's sharp decline. However, CF Industries did post stronger-than-expected sales, with net sales for the quarter reaching $1.89 billion, surpassing the analyst forecast of $1.80 billion and showing significant growth from $1.57 billion in the previous year.

Despite the revenue outperformance, investors seemed to focus on the bottom-line miss, possibly indicating concerns about the company's profitability and cost management in a challenging market environment. The after-hours sell-off suggests that market participants are reevaluating CF Industries' near-term prospects in light of these mixed results. As trading resumes in the regular session, it will be worth watching how the stock performs and whether analysts adjust their outlooks based on this earnings report.