KBC Group NV Buys 20,060 Shares of Crh Plc $CRH

Key Points

• KBC Group NV increased its stake in CRH by 1.8% in Q4, buying 20,060 shares to hold 1,147,605 shares (about 0.17% of the company) valued at roughly $143.22 million.
• CRH missed quarterly expectations, reporting $1.52 EPS versus $2.20 expected and revenue of $9.42 billion versus $11.15 billion, although revenue was up 6.2% year-over-year.
• CRH raised its quarterly dividend to $0.39 (annualized $1.56) for a 1.3% yield, and analysts’ consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $139.54.

KBC Group NV increased its stake in shares of Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,147,605 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 20,060 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned about 0.17% of CRH worth $143,221,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Board of the Pension Protection Fund bought a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 87.6% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 212 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CRH in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. United Community Bank boosted its position in shares of CRH by 359.6% during the third quarter. United Community Bank now owns 239 shares of the construction company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 187 shares during the period. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CRH by 1,835.3% during the second quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 329 shares of the construction company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 312 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRH has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. DA Davidson set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of CRH from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. BNP Paribas Exane raised shares of CRH to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of CRH from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $139.54.

CRH Stock Performance

CRH opened at $116.34 on Thursday. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $113.06 and its 200 day simple moving average is $117.99. Crh Plc has a 52-week low of $81.60 and a 52-week high of $131.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $77.74 billion, a PE ratio of 21.08, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.35.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 19th. The construction company reported $1.52 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.02 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts forecast that Crh Plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This is a positive change from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.3%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is presently 28.26%.

CRH Company Profile

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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