Two Sigma Investments LP Sells 45,758 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Two Sigma Investments LP cut its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 62.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 27,026 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 45,758 shares during the quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP's holdings in CRH were worth $2,500,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in shares of CRH by 214.3% in 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 during the period. Colonial Trust Co SC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of CRH by 859.6% in the fourth quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 499 shares of the construction company's stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 447 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on CRH shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Wednesday, May 7th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Wall Street Zen raised CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. 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 for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, CRH presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $112.58.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH stock traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $90.86. The company had a trading volume of 2,878,246 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,535,671. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $90.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $95.88. CRH plc has a one year low of $71.18 and a one year high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $61.39 billion, a PE ratio of 18.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last announced its 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 company had revenue of $6.76 billion during 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%. On average, research analysts forecast that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 23rd. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 23.52%.

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.