Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) Stake Boosted by Exane Asset Management

Exane Asset Management boosted its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 22.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 226,087 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 41,013 shares during the quarter. CRH makes up approximately 11.3% of Exane Asset Management's investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position. Exane Asset Management's holdings in CRH were worth $19,889,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in CRH. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the period. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Trading Down 0.8%

NYSE CRH traded down $0.80 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $95.09. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,016,050 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,824,963. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $93.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $94.52. Crh Plc has a twelve month low of $74.03 and a twelve month high of $110.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.15, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.26.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.77 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 15.88% and a net margin of 9.17%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Crh Plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. CRH's dividend payout ratio is 23.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

CRH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $112.82.

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.