CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Position Increased by Graham Capital Management L.P.

Graham Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 102.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 77,937 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 39,389 shares during the quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P.’s holdings in CRH were worth $7,211,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its position in CRH by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 2,335 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $216,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of CRH by 20.4% during the fourth quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 755 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of CRH by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,810 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in CRH by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,367 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $405,000 after buying an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its position in CRH by 18.3% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 971 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $90,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Stock Performance

NYSE CRH opened at $94.70 on Friday. CRH plc has a 1 year low of $71.18 and a 1 year high of $110.97. The business’s fifty day moving average is $91.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $64.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.94, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) 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). CRH had a return on equity of 16.35% and a net margin of 9.86%. The company had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that CRH plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. CRH’s payout ratio is 22.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CRH shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $112.36.

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.