Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. Makes New $4.02 Million Investment in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Parallax Volatility Advisers L.P. bought a new stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 43,480 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $4,023,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 240 shares in the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter worth $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its holdings in CRH by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 236 shares during the period. Finally, GeoWealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in CRH by 46.3% in the fourth quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 559 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on CRH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. 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, Loop Capital started coverage on CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $112.36.

CRH Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of CRH traded up $1.58 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $97.00. 2,512,451 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,713,452. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $92.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $96.00. The firm has a market cap of $65.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.38, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.66%.

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.