Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) Given Consensus Rating of "Buy" by Brokerages

Key Points

• CRH Plc has received an average consensus rating of "Buy" from thirteen analysts, with nine issuing buy recommendations and two giving a strong buy rating.
• The average 12-month price target for CRH shares among analysts is $114.64, while JPMorgan Chase has set a price objective of $130.00.
• CRH recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, reflecting an annualized dividend of $1.48 and a yield of 1.3%.

Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) has received an average recommendation of "Buy" from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have issued a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $114.6364.

A number of research firms recently issued reports on CRH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on CRH in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $130.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $112.00 price target (up from $108.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, August 8th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $105.00 price objective (down previously from $120.00) on shares of CRH in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Vertical Research upgraded shares of CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in CRH by 1.0% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 64,405,066 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $5,912,385,000 after purchasing an additional 649,598 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its stake in CRH by 24.3% in the 2nd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 12,803,346 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,175,347,000 after buying an additional 2,499,558 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of CRH in the 2nd quarter worth $1,007,932,000. Boston Partners raised its position in shares of CRH by 9.4% during the 2nd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,654,828 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $888,810,000 after buying an additional 832,027 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 9,185,200 shares of the construction company's stock worth $843,201,000 after acquiring an additional 354,711 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of CRH stock opened at $110.74 on Wednesday. The firm's 50 day moving average is $103.44 and its 200 day moving average is $96.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $74.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.17, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.31. CRH has a 12 month low of $76.75 and a 12 month high of $114.40.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The construction company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.06 by ($0.12). CRH had a net margin of 9.09% and a return on equity of 15.68%. The business had revenue of $10.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.88 EPS. The company's revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that CRH will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 22nd will be issued a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 22nd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.22%.

CRH Company Profile

CRH plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides building materials solutions in Ireland and internationally. It operates through four segments: Americas Materials Solutions, Americas Building Solutions, Europe Materials Solutions, and Europe Building Solutions. The company provides solutions for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings; and produces and sells aggregates, cement, readymixed concrete, and asphalt, as well as provides paving and construction services.

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