OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC Makes New $26.09 Million Investment in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC bought a new stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 282,000 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $26,091,000. CRH accounts for about 2.1% of OCONNOR A Distinct Business Unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest position.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth about $1,391,245,000. FMR LLC grew its position in CRH by 13.0% during the 4th quarter. FMR LLC now owns 40,843,362 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,781,004,000 after purchasing an additional 4,687,345 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in CRH by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,788,918 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in CRH by 72.2% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 4,717,597 shares of the construction company's stock worth $436,472,000 after purchasing an additional 1,978,225 shares during the period. Finally, D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. grew its position in CRH by 931.3% during the 4th quarter. D. E. Shaw & Co. Inc. now owns 1,977,992 shares of the construction company's stock worth $183,004,000 after purchasing an additional 1,786,189 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Price Performance

CRH stock traded up $1.15 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $98.98. The company had a trading volume of 3,180,808 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,801,833. The company has a market capitalization of $66.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.80, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $91.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.32.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 16.35%. On average, analysts expect that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.52%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on CRH shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. StockNews.com raised shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $115.00 target price on the stock. 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average 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.