PharVision Advisers LLC Takes Position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

PharVision Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 4,667 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $432,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,562,962 shares of the construction company's stock worth $144,605,000 after buying an additional 114,072 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in CRH by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company's stock worth $226,732,000 after purchasing an additional 232,977 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 72,778 shares of the construction company's stock worth $6,733,000 after acquiring an additional 12,076 shares in the last quarter. C2P Capital Advisory Group LLC d.b.a. Prosperity Capital Advisors purchased a new position in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,335,000. Finally, Ninety One UK Ltd raised its holdings in CRH by 9.0% in the 4th quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd now owns 2,547,826 shares of the construction company's stock worth $235,725,000 after purchasing an additional 209,328 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Down 1.1%

Shares of CRH stock traded down $1.06 on Monday, hitting $94.10. 5,235,921 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,818,081. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $91.43 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.27. CRH plc has a 1-year low of $71.18 and a 1-year high of $110.97.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.77 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 16.35% and a net margin of 9.86%. Research analysts forecast that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.57%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is presently 23.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently commented on CRH. Wall Street Zen upgraded CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, CRH currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $112.58.

CRH 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.