Crane (NYSE:CR) Sets New 52-Week High – What’s Next?

Crane (NYSE:CR) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $216.98 and last traded at $213.22, with a volume of 579517 shares. The stock had previously closed at $215.13.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus raised shares of Crane from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the company from $200.00 to $215.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $226.33.

Crane Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $12.89 billion, a PE ratio of 29.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $188.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $189.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $696.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $672.74 million. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.39 EPS. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Crane Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a $0.255 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Crane’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.35%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch bought 150 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $177.38 per share, for a total transaction of $26,607.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,630.60. The trade was a 68.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.12% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Crane

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. InTrack Investment Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Crane by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. InTrack Investment Management Inc now owns 1,607 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $296,000 after buying an additional 50 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its holdings in shares of Crane by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,167 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $215,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in shares of Crane by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 16,797 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $3,098,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Crane by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 180 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd boosted its holdings in Crane by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,542 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $284,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.