Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Invests $4.31 Million in Crh Plc $CRH

Key Points

• Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. invested approximately $4.3 million in CRH plc by acquiring 49,045 shares in the first quarter, as reported in a recent SEC filing.
• Institutional investors now hold 62.50% of CRH's stock, with notable increases from several funds, including a 62.8% stake boost by Vanguard Group Inc.
• CRH announced a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share, representing a 1.3% yield, set to be paid on September 24th for investors of record by August 22nd.

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new position in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 49,045 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $4,314,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in CRH. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. GW&K Investment Management LLC boosted its holdings in CRH by 86.7% in the first quarter. GW&K Investment Management LLC now owns 448 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its holdings in CRH by 44.6% in the first quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 730 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Trading Down 0.9%

CRH stock traded down $1.03 on Friday, hitting $113.44. 2,974,055 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,597,984. The firm has a market cap of $76.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.31. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $104.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.65. Crh Plc has a 1 year low of $76.75 and a 1 year high of $114.83.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The construction company reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.06 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $10.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations 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 prior year, the business posted $1.88 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Crh Plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared 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 annualized dividend 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%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of CRH from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, September 2nd. Vertical Research upgraded shares of CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 1st. 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 report on Thursday, July 10th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, August 8th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $116.00.

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.