Crane (NYSE:CR) Upgraded by UBS Group to Buy Rating

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at UBS Group from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Briefing.com Automated Import reports. The firm presently has a $190.00 price target on the conglomerate's stock. UBS Group's price objective would indicate a potential upside of 28.07% from the stock's current price.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com downgraded Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Crane from $170.00 to $144.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $186.00 price target on Crane and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, April 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $177.00.

Crane Price Performance

CR stock opened at $148.36 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Crane has a one year low of $127.04 and a one year high of $188.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.52 billion, a PE ratio of 19.65, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $150.65 and a two-hundred day moving average of $160.07.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 28th. The conglomerate reported $1.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $557.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $546.93 million. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. On average, analysts forecast that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of Crane stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Aviva PLC purchased a new stake in Crane in the 4th quarter worth approximately $538,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new stake in Crane in the 4th quarter worth $12,890,000. Rhumbline Advisers raised its position in Crane by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 135,191 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $20,515,000 after purchasing an additional 2,953 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. raised its position in Crane by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 323,272 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $49,057,000 after purchasing an additional 8,552 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Nova Scotia bought a new position in Crane during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $744,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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