Crh Plc $CRH Shares Acquired by Groupe la Francaise

Key Points

• Groupe la Francaise increased its stake in CRH Plc by 86.5% in the first quarter, owning 1,154,803 shares after acquiring an additional 535,474 shares, making it the company's 10th largest holding.
• CRH recently reported a miss on quarterly earnings with an EPS of $1.94, falling short of estimates, and a revenue of $10.21 billion, slightly below expectations.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, which will be paid on September 24th, reflecting an annualized dividend of $1.48 and a yield of 1.3%.

Groupe la Francaise boosted its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 86.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,154,803 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 535,474 shares during the quarter. CRH accounts for about 2.1% of Groupe la Francaise's portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Groupe la Francaise owned approximately 0.17% of CRH worth $99,981,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CRH. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC increased its position in CRH by 86.7% during the 1st quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 448 shares of the construction company's stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Performance

NYSE:CRH opened at $113.2560 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $98.10 and its 200-day moving average is $95.82. Crh Plc has a 52 week low of $76.75 and a 52 week high of $113.95. The firm has a market cap of $76.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.26.

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

CRH Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $112.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday, August 8th. Vertical Research upgraded shares of CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, August 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, August 8th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Two 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $113.18.

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.

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