Ethic Inc. Has $533,000 Stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Ethic Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 82.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 5,760 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 2,603 shares during the period. Ethic Inc.'s holdings in CRH were worth $533,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in shares of CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators grew its position in CRH by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of NYSE CRH traded down $1.20 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $97.45. The stock had a trading volume of 1,927,068 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,782,756. The firm has a market cap of $65.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33. CRH plc has a fifty-two week low of $71.18 and a fifty-two week high of $110.97. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $91.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.35.

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

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.52%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.52%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on CRH shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 price objective for the company. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target 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.