CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Analysts

Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Buy” by the eleven research firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $112.36.

Several brokerages have issued reports on CRH. 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. dropped their price target 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 price objective on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Loop Capital began coverage on CRH in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $114.00 price target for the company.

CRH Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of CRH stock opened at $84.79 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $57.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The business’s 50 day moving average is $95.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.01. CRH has a twelve month low of $71.18 and a twelve month high of $110.97.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s payout ratio is 22.66%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRH

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sagespring Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRH in the first quarter valued at about $281,000. Sowell Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of CRH by 11.8% during the 1st quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 11,228 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $988,000 after purchasing an additional 1,181 shares during the last quarter. Optas LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the 1st quarter worth approximately $207,000. Asio Capital LLC lifted its stake in CRH by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Asio Capital LLC now owns 58,842 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,176,000 after buying an additional 1,054 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 1st quarter valued at $348,000. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Company 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.