CRH's (CRH) "Neutral" Rating Reaffirmed at DA Davidson

DA Davidson reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of CRH (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $105.00 price objective on the construction company's stock, down from their prior price objective of $120.00.

CRH has been the topic of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CRH has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $112.82.

CRH Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:CRH traded down $0.49 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $95.98. 3,676,061 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,913,855. The firm has a market cap of $64.85 billion, a PE ratio of 20.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.26. CRH has a twelve month low of $74.03 and a twelve month high of $110.97. The stock's 50-day moving average is $93.46 and its 200-day moving average is $94.50.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results 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). The business had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 15.88% and a net margin of 9.17%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that CRH will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. CRH's payout ratio is currently 23.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRH

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group acquired a new position in shares of CRH in the 2nd quarter valued at about $211,000. Fulton Bank N.A. lifted its stake in CRH by 9.2% during the second quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 8,982 shares of the construction company's stock worth $825,000 after purchasing an additional 755 shares during the last quarter. Wedmont Private Capital acquired a new stake in CRH during the second quarter worth about $226,000. Baader Bank Aktiengesellschaft acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the second quarter valued at $1,210,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in CRH by 58.5% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,279 shares of the construction company's stock worth $393,000 after purchasing an additional 1,579 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company's stock.

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.