KBC Group NV Grows Stock Holdings in Crh Plc $CRH

Key Points

• KBC Group NV increased its CRH stake by 7.1% in the first quarter, adding 80,978 shares and bringing its total holding to 1,228,583 shares worth about $129.1 million.
• CRH reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, posting EPS of -$0.20 versus the -$0.22 estimate and revenue of $7.37 billion versus $7.07 billion expected, with revenue up 9.1% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive overall, with CRH carrying an average “Buy” rating and an average price target of $141.19, despite a few mixed target changes and one downgrade.

KBC Group NV raised its holdings in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 7.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,228,583 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 80,978 shares during the period. KBC Group NV owned 0.18% of CRH worth $129,149,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. boosted its stake in CRH by 1,835.3% in the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in CRH by 51.2% in the 1st quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 304 shares of the construction company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Price Performance

CRH stock opened at $102.96 on Monday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $106.33 and its 200-day moving average is $113.15. The company has a market cap of $68.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.32. Crh Plc has a 12 month low of $92.66 and a 12 month high of $131.55.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The construction company reported ($0.20) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.22) by $0.02. The business had revenue of $7.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.07 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 15.37% and a net margin of 9.65%.CRH's quarterly revenue was up 9.1% compared to the same quarter last year. CRH has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.600-6.050 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Crh Plc will post 5.96 EPS for the current year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. CRH's payout ratio is currently 28.89%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of CRH from $149.00 to $165.60 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of CRH from $135.00 to $132.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $139.00 target price on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of CRH from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, June 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $141.19.

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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