Crh Plc $CRH Shares Sold by Lansdowne Partners UK LLP

Key Points

• Lansdowne Partners UK LLP reduced its stake in Crh Plc by 42.8% in Q1, now holding 1,123,117 shares, which constitutes 14.0% of its investment portfolio, making it the firm's second-largest position.
• The company reported a missed earnings estimate in its latest quarterly earnings, with an EPS of $1.94, falling short of the projected $2.06, while revenue was $10.21 billion, slightly below expectations.
• CRH declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37, translating to an annualized dividend of $1.48 and a yield of 1.3%, with the ex-dividend date set for August 22nd.

Lansdowne Partners UK LLP decreased its holdings in shares of Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 42.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,123,117 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 840,126 shares during the period. CRH makes up about 14.0% of Lansdowne Partners UK LLP's holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest position. Lansdowne Partners UK LLP owned approximately 0.17% of CRH worth $98,801,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in CRH by 86.7% in the 1st quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 448 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Price Performance

NYSE CRH traded down $2.25 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $110.70. The company had a trading volume of 2,041,941 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,505,865. Crh Plc has a fifty-two week low of $76.75 and a fifty-two week high of $114.40. The company has a market capitalization of $74.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.31. The firm's 50 day moving average is $100.97 and its 200 day moving average is $96.08.

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

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date 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 currently 23.22%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on CRH shares. Vertical Research raised CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 1st. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $112.00 price target (up previously from $108.00) on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, August 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. began coverage on CRH in a research note on Tuesday, August 26th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $130.00 price target on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $114.64.

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.