Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) Short Interest Up 53.1% in December

Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 17,175,419 shares, an increase of 53.1% from the November 30th total of 11,221,350 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,625,412 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 2.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 8,625,412 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.0 days.

Institutional Trading of CRH

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CRH. Strategic Investment Advisors MI purchased a new position in shares of CRH during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $717,000. Mirabella Financial Services LLP raised its position in CRH by 155.6% during the third quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP now owns 20,868 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,497,000 after acquiring an additional 12,704 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in CRH by 37.6% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 3,284 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $394,000 after acquiring an additional 898 shares during the period. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in CRH by 18.2% during the third quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 127,058 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $15,234,000 after purchasing an additional 19,536 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC grew its position in shares of CRH by 36.3% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 953 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $114,000 after purchasing an additional 254 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRH Stock Performance

CRH stock opened at $125.80 on Wednesday. CRH has a one year low of $76.75 and a one year high of $129.28. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $119.52 and its 200 day moving average is $110.61. The firm has a market cap of $84.32 billion, a PE ratio of 25.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 1.35.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The construction company reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.27. CRH had a net margin of 9.30% and a return on equity of 16.25%. The business had revenue of $11.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.97 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. CRH has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.490-5.720 EPS. Research analysts predict that CRH will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.11%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have recently commented on CRH shares. Bank of America began coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, September 26th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $128.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of CRH from $135.00 to $133.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 7th. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $138.00 price target on the stock. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on CRH from $110.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on CRH from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, September 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $132.60.

About CRH

CRH plc, originally formed as Cement Roadstone Holdings in 1970 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global building materials group. The company has grown from its Irish roots into one of the largest international suppliers of construction materials, expanding primarily through acquisitions and regional business development. CRH operates an integrated network of manufacturing and distribution businesses that serve both public and private construction markets.

CRH’s core activities include the production and distribution of aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and other bulk materials, together with a broad range of value-added building products such as precast concrete, masonry, bricks, roofing products, pipe and drainage systems, and construction accessories.