Man Group plc Increases Stock Holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Man Group plc increased its position in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 12.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,312,790 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 247,142 shares during the period. CRH makes up about 0.6% of Man Group plc's holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest position. Man Group plc owned 0.34% of CRH worth $213,980,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of CRH. FMR LLC increased its holdings in shares of CRH by 13.0% in the fourth quarter. FMR LLC now owns 40,843,362 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,781,004,000 after buying an additional 4,687,345 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in CRH by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,163,930 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,624,719,000 after acquiring an additional 145,101 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in CRH by 17.0% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,788,918 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in CRH in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,391,245,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in CRH by 10.6% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,609,451 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $796,546,000 after purchasing an additional 826,758 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH stock traded up $1.15 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $98.98. 3,180,808 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,795,153. CRH plc has a 52-week low of $71.18 and a 52-week high of $110.97. The stock has a market cap of $66.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33. The stock's fifty day moving average is $91.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.32.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.06). CRH had a net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 16.35%. The company had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. CRH's payout ratio is 23.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CRH shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com raised CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $112.58.

About CRH

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.