Benjamin Edwards Inc. Acquires 3,093 Shares of Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH)

Key Points

• Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its stake in CRH Plc by 16.2%, owning 22,212 shares valued at approximately $1.95 million after acquiring additional shares in the first quarter.
• CRH recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, reflecting an annualized dividend of $1.48 with a yield of 1.4%.
• CRH's stock performance shows a market cap of $72.63 billion with a 12-month range between $76.75 and $110.97, and its earnings per share for the last quarter were $1.94, missing estimates.

Benjamin Edwards Inc. grew its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 16.2% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 22,212 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 3,093 shares during the quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc.'s holdings in CRH were worth $1,954,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Price Performance

CRH traded down $1.78 during trading on Thursday, reaching $111.87. The company had a trading volume of 2,892,051 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,635,836. Crh Plc has a 12 month low of $76.75 and a 12 month high of $113.95. The business's fifty day moving average price is $95.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $95.20. The company has a market cap of $75.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a PEG ratio of 1.44 and a beta of 1.26.

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 for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.06 by ($0.12). The company had revenue of $10.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.27 billion. CRH had a net margin of 9.09% and a return on equity of 15.68%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.88 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Crh Plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently weighed in on CRH shares. Vertical Research raised shares of 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 objective (up previously from $108.00) on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, August 8th. DA Davidson reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $105.00 price objective (down previously from $120.00) on shares of CRH in a research note on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CRH presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $113.18.

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.