Stifel Nicolaus Has Lowered Expectations for Crane (NYSE:CR) Stock Price

Crane (NYSE:CR - Free Report) had its price target trimmed by Stifel Nicolaus from $170.00 to $144.00 in a report published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a hold rating on the conglomerate's stock.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on CR. StockNews.com lowered shares of Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. DA Davidson reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $200.00 target price on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.40.

Crane Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of CR stock traded up $0.94 on Monday, hitting $142.51. The stock had a trading volume of 264,630 shares, compared to its average volume of 260,859. The company's 50 day moving average price is $153.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $160.57. Crane has a 1 year low of $127.04 and a 1 year high of $188.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.07. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.90 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. This is an increase from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.65%. Crane's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.18%.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In other Crane news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total value of $392,011.28. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. This trade represents a 6.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.12% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Crane

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CR. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Crane by 487.8% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 241 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Crane by 69.1% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 372 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $56,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter worth $86,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its position in shares of Crane by 31.4% in the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 569 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $87,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the period. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its stake in Crane by 17.8% in the fourth quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 583 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $89,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Crane Company Profile

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.