Pacific Capital Partners Ltd Invests $6.60 Million in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH)

Pacific Capital Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 75,000 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $6,598,000. CRH comprises approximately 4.2% of Pacific Capital Partners Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 9th biggest holding.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. LPL Financial LLC lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 63.5% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 167,075 shares of the construction company's stock worth $15,458,000 after purchasing an additional 64,873 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 3,245 shares of the construction company's stock worth $300,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares during the last quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its position in CRH by 214.3% during the 4th 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 in the last quarter. Summit Financial LLC increased its position in CRH by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Summit Financial LLC now owns 19,154 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,772,000 after buying an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in shares of CRH by 32,560.1% in the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 951,714 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $88,053,000 after purchasing an additional 948,800 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CRH traded down $0.14 during trading on Friday, reaching $95.31. The stock had a trading volume of 2,876,251 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,639,638. The company has a market cap of $64.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.19, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.26. The business's 50-day moving average price is $93.21 and its 200-day moving average price is $94.80. Crh Plc has a fifty-two week low of $74.03 and a fifty-two week high of $110.97.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.06). The business 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%. Analysts forecast that Crh Plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were paid 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 1.6%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.52%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CRH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 target price on the stock. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $105.00 target price (down from $120.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Thursday, July 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Loop Capital started coverage on CRH in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.