CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH) Shares Sold by Vontobel Holding Ltd.

Vontobel Holding Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of CRH PLC (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,011,506 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 47,986 shares during the quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. owned about 0.30% of CRH worth $176,952,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in CRH. Orion Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake in CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Colonial Trust Co SC purchased a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

CRH Stock Up 1.3%

NYSE:CRH traded up $1.18 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $94.48. 3,432,822 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,929,175. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.26. CRH PLC has a 1 year low of $72.32 and a 1 year high of $110.97. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $93.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $94.50.

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 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%. As a group, research analysts predict that CRH PLC will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd were issued a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.57%. CRH's payout ratio is 23.52%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Loop Capital initiated coverage on CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, May 6th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $114.18.

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.