CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH) Shares Acquired by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Crh Plc by 6.4%, acquiring an additional 156,163 shares, bringing its total ownership to 2,606,795 shares valued at approximately $229.3 million.
• CRH has an average rating of "Buy" from analysts, with a current average price target of $113.18, indicating positive sentiment towards the stock's performance.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, which will be paid on September 24th, representing an annualized yield of 1.4%.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 6.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,606,795 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 156,163 shares during the quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned approximately 0.39% of CRH worth $229,320,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Diversify Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in CRH by 5.0% in the first quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,572 shares of the construction company's stock worth $240,000 after purchasing an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd grew its holdings in CRH by 20.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 755 shares of the construction company's stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in CRH by 1.7% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 8,196 shares of the construction company's stock worth $721,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in CRH by 0.9% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 15,257 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,342,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of CRH by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 10,387 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $914,000 after buying an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH traded up $4.73 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $112.15. 7,540,199 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,542,755. CRH PLC has a 12 month low of $76.75 and a 12 month high of $112.19. The stock has a market cap of $75.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.46, a P/E/G ratio of 1.38 and a beta of 1.26. The stock's 50-day moving average is $94.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.95.

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

CRH Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CRH shares. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 price target on the stock. Vertical Research raised CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $112.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Friday. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $105.00 price target (down previously from $120.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $113.18.

CRH 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.