HighTower Advisors LLC Increases Stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 188,060 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,373 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in CRH were worth $17,399,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of CRH. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 361 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 4,338 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $402,000 after acquiring an additional 227 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in shares of CRH during the 3rd quarter worth about $483,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 6,859.4% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 191,105 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $17,723,000 after acquiring an additional 188,359 shares during the period. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. raised its holdings in CRH by 14.3% in the third quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 6,809 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $631,000 after buying an additional 852 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRH Trading Up 2.6 %

CRH stock opened at $97.08 on Friday. CRH plc has a twelve month low of $71.18 and a twelve month high of $110.97. The company has a market capitalization of $65.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.42, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $99.37 and a 200-day simple moving average of $96.09.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.52%. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 20.87%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on CRH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target 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. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $109.25.

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.