Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of CRH Call Options (NYSE:CRH)

CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock investors bought 15,797 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 153% compared to the typical volume of 6,237 call options.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRH

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of CRH. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CRH by 7.9% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,562,962 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $144,605,000 after acquiring an additional 114,072 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in CRH by 22.1% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 32,557 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,012,000 after purchasing an additional 5,889 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in CRH by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $226,732,000 after purchasing an additional 232,977 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of CRH by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 23,253 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,151,000 after buying an additional 5,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its holdings in CRH by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 72,778 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,733,000 after acquiring an additional 12,076 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Stock Up 3.5 %

CRH opened at $85.57 on Wednesday. CRH has a 52 week low of $71.18 and a 52 week high of $110.97. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $93.78 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $95.95. The company has a market cap of $57.87 billion, a PE ratio of 17.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business 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 1.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is 22.66%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on CRH shares. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. Loop Capital started coverage on CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. 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. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. 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 research note on Monday, January 6th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, CRH currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $112.36.

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.