Crane's (CR) "Buy" Rating Reiterated at DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson reiterated its “Buy” rating on Crane and set a $245 price target, implying 23.27% upside. Analysts overall maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average target of $239.
• Crane exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $1.79 in EPS versus the $1.68 consensus and revenue of $724.7 million, up 25.6% year over year. Analysts expect approximately $6.99 in EPS for the current year.
• Crane agreed to acquire Trillium’s U.S. pump business, expanding its exposure to municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, though the deal introduces integration and valuation risks as the stock trades at roughly 35 times earnings.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reiterated by equities research analysts at DA Davidson in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. They presently have a $245.00 price target on the conglomerate's stock. DA Davidson's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 23.27% from the company's current price.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on shares of Crane in a research note on Monday, July 20th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $253.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Crane from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $240.00 price target on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, September 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Crane from $215.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and four have assigned a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Crane presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $239.00.

Crane Trading Down 0.3%

Crane stock opened at $198.75 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $213.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $197.44. The company has a market capitalization of $11.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 1.01. Crane has a 52 week low of $159.58 and a 52 week high of $230.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 2.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The conglomerate reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $724.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $708.46 million. Crane had a net margin of 12.97% and a return on equity of 18.67%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 25.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.49 EPS. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.050 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Crane will post 6.99 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Crane

In other news, Director James Tullis sold 400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $205.38, for a total transaction of $82,152.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 5,021 shares in the company, valued at $1,031,212.98. This trade represents a 7.38% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CR. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of Crane by 16.1% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 626 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital raised its stake in shares of Crane by 8.4% during the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,450 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $318,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Crane by 7.2% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,687 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $291,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Crane by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 5,478 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $1,010,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. Finally, TD Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Crane in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Key Crane News

Here are the key news stories impacting Crane this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Crane agreed to acquire Trillium’s U.S. pump business, which supplies highly engineered equipment primarily to municipal water and wastewater customers. The transaction broadens Crane’s presence in a potentially durable infrastructure market and complements its existing industrial portfolio. Crane Company Announces Agreement to Acquire U.S. Water Pump Business
• Positive Sentiment: The acquisition provides exposure to municipal end markets that may benefit from ongoing water-system investment. Management’s willingness to deploy capital may also signal confidence in the target’s strategic fit and future cash flows. Trillium Announces Sale of Pumps US to Crane
• Neutral Sentiment: Crane is paying about 14.6 times the business’s relevant financial measure, making the valuation a key issue for investors. The deal’s effect on earnings, synergies, financing and closing timing were not detailed in the provided reports. Crane Stock May Be Near Fair Value After Pump Deal
• Negative Sentiment: The purchase adds execution and integration risk at a time when Crane’s shares already trade at a relatively elevated trailing P/E of about 34.9. Investors may therefore expect the acquired business to deliver meaningful growth and returns to justify the price.

About Crane

Crane Company NYSE: CR is a diversified industrial technology company that develops and manufactures highly engineered products for aerospace, process industries, and payment and merchandising applications. Its offerings are used in demanding operating environments where reliability, safety, and specialized performance are important.

The company operates through businesses focused on aerospace and electronics, process flow technologies, and payment and merchandising technologies. Its products include aerospace components and systems, engineered valves and pumps, fluid-handling equipment, payment acceptance and vending solutions, and related technologies used by commercial, industrial, and infrastructure customers.

Crane traces its origins to 1855, when Richard Teller Crane established the company in Chicago.

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