Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Increases Stock Position in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. significantly increased its stake in CRH Plc by 948% in Q1, owning 640,090 shares valued at approximately $56.29 million.
• Analysts have mixed views on CRH, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $112.82, while some have adjusted their targets downwards recently.
• CRH declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37, leading to an annualized dividend of $1.48 and a yield of 1.6%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 948.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 640,090 shares of the construction company's stock after buying an additional 579,012 shares during the period. CRH accounts for approximately 0.5% of Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 18th largest holding. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of CRH worth $56,290,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Orion Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in shares of CRH by 214.3% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Performance

Shares of CRH stock traded down $0.14 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $95.31. 2,876,251 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,564,731. Crh Plc has a 12 month low of $74.03 and a 12 month high of $110.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $93.24 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $94.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.40 billion, a PE ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.26.

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

CRH Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 target price for the company. Loop Capital assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, 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 report on Monday, April 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CRH presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $112.82.

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.