Crh Plc $CRH Stake Lowered by Dupont Capital Management Corp

Key Points

• Dupont Capital Management cut its CRH stake by 14.3% in Q4, selling 15,850 shares and now holding 95,101 shares worth about $11.87 million (≈1.3% of its portfolio, the fund's 21st largest position).
• CRH missed quarterly estimates, reporting EPS of $1.52 vs. $2.20 expected and revenue of $9.42 billion vs. $11.15 billion expected, though revenue was up 6.2% year-over-year with a 10.02% net margin and 15.98% ROE.
• Dividend and analyst sentiment remain positive: CRH raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 (annualized $1.56, 1.4% yield), and analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average target of $139.54, including upgrades from several firms.

Dupont Capital Management Corp lessened its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 14.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 95,101 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 15,850 shares during the period. CRH accounts for about 1.3% of Dupont Capital Management Corp's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest holding. Dupont Capital Management Corp's holdings in CRH were worth $11,869,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of CRH. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in CRH by 680.6% during the 4th quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 119,237 shares of the construction company's stock worth $14,881,000 after acquiring an additional 103,962 shares during the last quarter. PDS Planning Inc increased its stake in CRH by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 4,000 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $499,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the period. CWM LLC increased its stake in CRH by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. CWM LLC now owns 46,027 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $5,744,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the period. KBC Group NV increased its stake in CRH by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,147,605 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $143,221,000 after acquiring an additional 20,060 shares during the period. Finally, Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in CRH by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,742 shares of the construction company's stock worth $337,000 after buying an additional 456 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Performance

NYSE:CRH opened at $114.33 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average is $112.91 and its 200-day moving average is $117.96. Crh Plc has a 52 week low of $81.60 and a 52 week high of $131.55. The firm has a market cap of $76.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.71, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.35.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The construction company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.20 by ($0.68). CRH had a net margin of 10.02% and a return on equity of 15.98%. The company had revenue of $9.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.02 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Crh Plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were given a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This is an increase from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 28.26%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on CRH shares. Citigroup upped their target price on shares of CRH from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of CRH from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $139.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CRH presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $139.54.

About CRH

CRH plc, originally formed as Cement Roadstone Holdings in 1970 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global building materials group. The company has grown from its Irish roots into one of the largest international suppliers of construction materials, expanding primarily through acquisitions and regional business development. CRH operates an integrated network of manufacturing and distribution businesses that serve both public and private construction markets.

CRH's core activities include the production and distribution of aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and other bulk materials, together with a broad range of value-added building products such as precast concrete, masonry, bricks, roofing products, pipe and drainage systems, and construction accessories.

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