Ethic Inc. Buys 2,603 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Ethic Inc. increased its holdings in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 82.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 5,760 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 2,603 shares during the quarter. Ethic Inc.’s holdings in CRH were worth $533,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CRH. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC bought a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 87.7% during the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Loop Capital assumed coverage on CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, May 7th. Finally, StockNews.com raised CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $112.58.

CRH Trading Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:CRH opened at $97.80 on Friday. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $91.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.29. The company has a market capitalization of $66.08 billion, a PE ratio of 19.56, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last announced its quarterly 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 net margin of 9.86% and a return on equity of 16.35%. The company had revenue of $6.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.77 billion. Research analysts predict that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.51%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is presently 23.52%.

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.