First Eagle Investment Management LLC Boosts Stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 4,367 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC’s holdings in CRH were worth $405,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Assetmark Inc. increased its position in CRH by 29.2% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 1,598 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $148,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the third quarter worth about $483,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of CRH by 6,859.4% during the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 191,105 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $17,723,000 after buying an additional 188,359 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 84.8% during the third quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 28,158 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,611,000 after buying an additional 12,918 shares during the period. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its position in CRH by 5.5% during the third quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 24,510 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,273,000 after acquiring an additional 1,274 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on CRH shares. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup lowered their price target on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $109.25.

CRH Trading Up 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE CRH opened at $97.08 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $99.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.15. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The company has a market cap of $65.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.42, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.51%.

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.