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

Key Points

• DA Davidson reiterated a "Buy" on Crane with a $235 price target (implying ~30.98% upside), and MarketBeat's consensus rating is "Buy" with a $223.83 target based on 2 Strong Buy, 5 Buy and 1 Hold.
• Q1 results beat expectations—EPS $1.65 vs. $1.44 and revenue $696.4M (+24.9% YoY)—and management raised FY2026 guidance to $6.65–$6.85 per share.
• Insider and institutional activity indicates conviction: company insiders made recent purchases while large investors (e.g., Northwestern Mutual, Norges Bank) added substantial positions, with institutions owning about 75% of the stock.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "buy" rating reissued by equities researchers at DA Davidson in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $235.00 price objective on the conglomerate's stock. DA Davidson's price target would suggest a potential upside of 30.98% from the company's current price.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on CR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Crane in a report on Friday, March 27th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on Crane from $201.00 to $200.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a "buy" rating and set a $238.00 price target on shares of Crane in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Crane from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, March 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Crane presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $223.83.

Crane Trading Down 2.0%

CR stock traded down $3.60 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $179.41. The company had a trading volume of 431,843 shares, compared to its average volume of 485,517. The business has a 50-day moving average of $185.41 and a 200-day moving average of $188.41. Crane has a one year low of $153.06 and a one year high of $214.31. The stock has a market cap of $10.35 billion, a PE ratio of 23.88, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.34. 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 (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.21. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%.The business had revenue of $696.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $672.45 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.39 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Crane

In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch bought 150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $182.22 per share, with a total value of $27,333.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 220 shares of the company's stock, valued at $40,088.40. This trade represents a 214.29% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Jason D. Feldman sold 2,693 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.95, for a total value of $543,851.35. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 10,639 shares in the company, valued at $2,148,546.05. The trade was a 20.20% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders acquired 5,464 shares of company stock valued at $987,470 over the last three months. 2.12% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crane

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CR. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in shares of Crane by 289,020.7% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,855,409 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $1,448,773,000 after purchasing an additional 7,852,692 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the fourth quarter worth approximately $198,509,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the fourth quarter worth approximately $76,171,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Crane by 85.6% during the fourth quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 799,864 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $147,519,000 after purchasing an additional 368,816 shares during the period. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in Crane by 4,412.6% in the 4th quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 240,836 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $44,417,000 after buying an additional 235,499 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Crane

Here are the key news stories impacting Crane this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results and updated guidance: Crane reported strong Q1 revenue growth (≈24.9% YoY) and said it raised/updated FY‑2026 EPS guidance to $6.65–$6.85, signaling continued top‑line momentum and management confidence. This is the main bullish catalyst behind recent buying interest. Crane Company Reports First Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year EPS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: Traders bought 2,437 call contracts today (≈+255% vs. typical daily call volume), indicating speculative or directional bullish interest that can amplify intraday moves. No link available for this item.
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying and institutional interest noted in recent coverage: Several insiders and institutions have added CR exposure recently, which can be interpreted as management and large holders having conviction in the company’s outlook. Crane Company (CR) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO succession completed: Alex Alcala was named President & CEO (Max Mitchell moved to Executive Chairman). Internal promotion supports continuity but introduces execution risk as the new CEO assumes full operational responsibility. Crane Company Announces Completion of CEO Succession
• Neutral Sentiment: Dividend declared: Crane set a quarterly cash dividend of $0.255 per share (annualized yield ~0.6%, ex‑dividend May 29), a modest income signal but unlikely to be a major driver of near‑term price action.
• Negative Sentiment: Mixed earnings details and financials flagged by third‑party coverage: some reports show a divergence between stronger operating profit and weaker net income/EPS (and weaker operating cash flow), plus a rise in liabilities — factors that could worry value‑sensitive investors and help explain selling pressure despite top‑line strength. Crane Company (CR) Stock Rises on Q1 2026 Earnings (analysis)

About Crane

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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