Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund Invests $1.76 Million in CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH)

Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund bought a new position in shares of CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 19,981 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,758,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of CRH by 10.5% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company's stock worth $226,732,000 after buying an additional 232,977 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC bought a new stake in CRH during the fourth quarter worth approximately $237,000. Headlands Technologies LLC grew its position in shares of CRH by 142,350.0% in the fourth quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC now owns 17,094 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,582,000 after purchasing an additional 17,082 shares during the last quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter worth approximately $683,000. Finally, LGT Group Foundation grew its position in CRH by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. LGT Group Foundation now owns 795,108 shares of the construction company's stock worth $73,563,000 after purchasing an additional 17,755 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CRH Trading Up 1.8%

NYSE:CRH traded up $1.64 on Tuesday, hitting $91.57. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,003,823 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,099,092. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $92.40 and a two-hundred day moving average of $94.80. CRH PLC has a one year low of $71.18 and a one year high of $110.97. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.28.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.06). CRH had a return on equity of 15.88% and a net margin of 9.17%. The firm had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that CRH PLC will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $114.18.

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.