Crane (NYSE:CR) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Crane (NYSE:CR) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 6.850-7.050 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 6.790. The company issued revenue guidance of $2.9 billion-$2.9 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.9 billion.

Crane Stock Down 8.6%

Shares of CR traded down $19.40 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $206.94. The company had a trading volume of 388,695 shares, compared to its average volume of 505,699. The stock has a market cap of $11.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.60, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $206.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $194.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Crane has a 52 week low of $159.58 and a 52 week high of $230.50.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The conglomerate reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.68 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $724.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $708.46 million. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 25.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.49 earnings per share. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.850-7.050 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Crane Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 9th. Investors of record on Monday, August 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.255 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 31st. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Crane’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.35%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on CR shares. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research report on Monday, June 1st. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Crane in a research report on Monday, July 20th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $253.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on Crane from $215.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Wall Street Zen cut Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $234.00.

Insider Activity at Crane

In other Crane news, Director Susan D. Lynch purchased 150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,630.60. This trade represents a 68.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.12% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Crane

Here are the key news stories impacting Crane this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Crane exceeded quarterly expectations and raised guidance. Second-quarter adjusted EPS was $1.79, beating the $1.68 consensus estimate, while revenue reached $724.7 million versus expectations of $708.5 million. Management raised full-year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance to $6.85-$7.05 from $6.65-$6.85, above the current $6.79 consensus. Crane Company Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results and Raises Full Year Adjusted EPS Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Growth was broad-based and profitability improved. Sales increased 25.6% year over year, operating profit rose 40.2% to $144.3 million, and operating margin expanded 210 basis points to 19.9%. Aerospace & Advanced Technologies sales grew 31.3%, while Process Flow Technologies sales increased 20.9%. Backlog stood at $1.887 billion at June 30, providing visibility into future revenue. Crane raises outlook after Q2 sales climb 25.6%
• Positive Sentiment: The quarterly dividend was maintained. Crane declared a $0.255-per-share dividend, payable September 9 to shareholders of record August 31. The payment represents an annualized $1.02 per share and an approximately 0.5% yield. Crane dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent insider activity has been favorable overall, with six purchases and one sale reported over the past six months, including purchases by CEO Max Mitchell and other executives. While supportive of management confidence, the transactions are relatively small compared with Crane’s market capitalization.
• Negative Sentiment: At roughly 27.5 times earnings and near its 52-week high, Crane’s valuation leaves less room for disappointment. Investors may also be weighing whether the guidance increase fully reflects the strong quarterly growth, contributing to the stock’s weaker reaction despite the earnings beat.

Institutional Trading of Crane

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cresset Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Crane by 2.4% in the second quarter. Cresset Asset Management LLC now owns 3,245 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $616,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Aviva PLC lifted its position in Crane by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 2,671 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $493,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. State of Wyoming boosted its stake in Crane by 36.6% during the 4th quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 381 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Caerus Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Crane by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Caerus Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,478 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $273,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Crane by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,717 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $500,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Crane

Crane Co, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products serving customers around the world. The company operates through two primary segments: Aerospace & Electronics and Engineered Materials. Its Aerospace & Electronics division designs and produces valves, fittings, manifolds, and filtration systems for aircraft fuel, hydraulics, and environmental control systems. The Engineered Materials segment focuses on advanced polymers, heat exchangers, and specialized composite solutions for industries including chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and power generation.

With roots dating back to its founding in 1855 in Chicago by R.T.