Crane (NYSE:CR) PT Set at $215.00 by Stifel Nicolaus

Key Points

• Stifel Nicolaus set a $215 price target and maintained a "Buy" rating on Crane, while the analyst consensus remains a Buy with an average price target of $226.33, implying meaningful upside from current levels.
• Crane's Q1 results beat expectations (EPS $1.65 vs. $1.44 est.; revenue up 24.9% to $696.4M) and management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $6.65–$6.85, supporting upside to estimates.
• Insiders, including CEO Max Mitchell, purchased shares recently and the company completed a planned CEO succession, signals that management confidence and investor interest are increasing (also evidenced by elevated call‑option volume).

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) received a $215.00 price target from stock analysts at Stifel Nicolaus in a research report issued on Wednesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a "buy" rating on the conglomerate's stock. Stifel Nicolaus' price target would indicate a potential upside of 20.95% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on CR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Crane in a report on Friday, March 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $238.00 target price on shares of Crane in a report on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Crane from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and six have assigned a Buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $226.33.

Crane Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CR opened at $177.76 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $184.96 and a 200-day moving average price of $188.43. 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 company has a market capitalization of $10.25 billion, a PE ratio of 23.54, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.34. Crane has a 1-year low of $153.06 and a 1-year high of $214.31.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 company had revenue of $696.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $672.45 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.39 EPS. Crane'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. As a group, equities analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Crane news, CEO Max H. Mitchell purchased 1,000 shares of Crane stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 30th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $183.71 per share, with a total value of $183,710.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 410,667 shares of the company's stock, valued at $75,443,634.57. This trade represents a 0.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Susan D. Lynch acquired 150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $182.22 per share, for a total transaction of $27,333.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 220 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,088.40. This trade represents a 214.29% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have purchased a total of 5,464 shares of company stock valued at $987,470 over the last ninety days. 2.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crane

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EFG Asset Management North America Corp. bought a new stake in Crane during the third quarter valued at about $1,651,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL lifted its position in shares of Crane by 314.8% during the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 74,801 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $13,774,000 after buying an additional 56,768 shares in the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Crane by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 489,810 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $90,196,000 after acquiring an additional 37,026 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Crane by 44.2% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 183,787 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $33,843,000 after acquiring an additional 56,324 shares during the period. Finally, Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Crane in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $3,709,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Crane

Here are the key news stories impacting Crane this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat on revenue and management raised FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $6.65–$6.85 (above consensus). Revenue grew ~24.9% YoY to $696.4M and management lifted full‑year targets, which supports upside to estimates. Crane Company Reports First Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year EPS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reaffirmed a "Buy" and set a $235 price target, signaling bullish analyst backing and ~30% upside to current levels. Benzinga Analyst Note
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option volume: ~2,437 calls traded (≈+255% vs average), indicating speculative or hedged bullish positioning by traders ahead/after the print.
• Positive Sentiment: CEO succession completed as planned — Alex Alcala elevated to CEO with Max Mitchell now Executive Chairman. Management continuity from an internal successor reduces leadership risk. Crane Company Announces Completion of CEO Succession
• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend declared ($0.255 per share; ex‑div May 29), a modest yield but supportive of shareholder returns and income investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management's Q1 earnings call and slide presentation provide additional detail on segment trends and M&A priorities — useful for confirming sustainability of organic growth and margin drivers. Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Q1 Results Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Some third‑party summaries show a mismatch between strong operating profit growth and weaker net income/EPS comparisons (cash from ops was negative and total liabilities rose in one report), which suggests non‑operating items, interest, taxes or one‑offs affected GAAP EPS — a potential near‑term earnings risk to monitor. QuiverQuant Q1 Summary

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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