Crane (NYSE:CR) Downgraded to Hold Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen downgraded Crane from a “buy” to a “hold” rating, though the broader analyst consensus remains positive with an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $226.33.
• Crane reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $1.65 versus estimates of $1.44 and revenue of $696.4 million, which also topped expectations. The company also raised FY 2026 guidance to $6.65-$6.85 EPS.
• The stock was trading around $180.79, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, while institutional ownership remained high at 75.14%.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report issued on Saturday.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Crane from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $215.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $238.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Crane from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Monday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $226.33.

Crane Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CR opened at $180.79 on Friday. The company's 50 day moving average price is $182.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $188.35. Crane has a 12-month low of $159.58 and a 12-month high of $214.31. The firm has a market cap of $10.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.95, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The firm had revenue of $696.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $672.74 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. The business's revenue was up 24.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In other news, SVP Jason D. Feldman sold 2,693 shares of Crane stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.95, for a total transaction of $543,851.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 10,639 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,546.05. This trade represents a 20.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan D. Lynch acquired 150 shares of Crane stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 370 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $65,630.60. The trade was a 68.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $1,651,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL increased its holdings in Crane by 314.8% during the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 74,801 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $13,774,000 after acquiring an additional 56,768 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Crane by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 489,810 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $90,196,000 after acquiring an additional 37,026 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Crane by 44.2% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 183,787 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $33,843,000 after buying an additional 56,324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Citigroup Inc. raised its position in shares of Crane by 23.0% during the 3rd quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 33,480 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $6,165,000 after buying an additional 6,258 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Crane Company Profile

Crane Co, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products serving customers around the world. The company operates through two primary segments: Aerospace & Electronics and Engineered Materials. Its Aerospace & Electronics division designs and produces valves, fittings, manifolds, and filtration systems for aircraft fuel, hydraulics, and environmental control systems. The Engineered Materials segment focuses on advanced polymers, heat exchangers, and specialized composite solutions for industries including chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and power generation.

With roots dating back to its founding in 1855 in Chicago by R.T.

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