State of Tennessee Department of Treasury Purchases Shares of 36,952 CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

State of Tennessee Department of Treasury acquired a new stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 36,952 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $3,419,000.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of CRH. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its stake in CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its holdings in shares of CRH by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the period. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC grew its position in CRH by 46.3% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 559 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRH has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Loop Capital began coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price target for the company. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $112.36.

CRH Trading Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE CRH traded up $1.95 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $95.41. The company had a trading volume of 5,809,743 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,714,573. CRH plc has a twelve month low of $71.18 and a twelve month high of $110.97. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $92.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $96.01. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.53 billion, a PE ratio of 19.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th were issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. This is a positive change from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. CRH's dividend payout ratio is 22.66%.

About CRH

CRH plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides building materials solutions in Ireland and internationally. It operates through four segments: Americas Materials Solutions, Americas Building Solutions, Europe Materials Solutions, and Europe Building Solutions. The company provides solutions for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings; and produces and sells aggregates, cement, readymixed concrete, and asphalt, as well as provides paving and construction services.