Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) Stock Holdings Increased by Machina Capital S.A.S.

Machina Capital S.A.S. increased its position in shares of Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 205.9% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 18,164 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,226 shares during the quarter. Machina Capital S.A.S.'s holdings in CRH were worth $1,598,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in CRH by 214.3% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new position in shares of CRH in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of CRH traded up $2.90 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $100.07. 8,790,491 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,437,300. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $93.16 and a 200 day simple moving average of $94.66. Crh Plc has a 12-month low of $74.03 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $67.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.20, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.26.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.06) by ($0.06). The firm had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.77 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 15.88% and a net margin of 9.17%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Crh Plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.48%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on CRH shares. Loop Capital started coverage on CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. DA Davidson reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $105.00 price target (down from $120.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Thursday, July 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price target on CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $112.82.

CRH Company 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.