Analysts were expecting CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (CF) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $1.02 for last quarter, but CF missed expectations with actual earnings of $0.78---24 cents below the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $3.70 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that CF’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare CF's -13.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 10.17% for the Agricultural Chemicals industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect CF to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Agricultural Chemicals industry, you can see how analysts believe CF will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Compass Minerals International Inc. (CMP) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Mosaic Co. (MOS) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe CMP's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 4.99% while MOS's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 3.50%.

Earnings season can be a volatile time in the stock market. Check out these videos and articles to be better prepared to take advantage of the large price moves that tend to accompany earnings announcements.

- Earnings Season is Here - Find Out How to Trade It

- Using Options to Trade Earnings

- Understanding Stock Analyst Research and Recommendations

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