Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) has been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $137.8571.

CRH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Longbow Research initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. BNP Paribas Exane raised CRH to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating on shares of CRH in a report on Monday, December 8th. Citigroup upped their price objective on CRH from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their price objective on CRH from $152.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 7th.

CRH Stock Down 3.6%

NYSE:CRH opened at $113.49 on Wednesday. CRH has a 12-month low of $76.75 and a 12-month high of $131.55. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.33. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $124.28 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $119.27.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.20 by ($0.68). The business had revenue of $5.42 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.15 billion. CRH had a net margin of 10.02% and a return on equity of 15.98%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.02 EPS. CRH has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.600-6.050 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that CRH will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is presently 20.11%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in CRH by 24.7% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,269,271 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $272,086,000 after acquiring an additional 448,860 shares during the period. Park Avenue Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the third quarter worth $4,491,000. Exane Asset Management lifted its position in shares of CRH by 21.2% during the third quarter. Exane Asset Management now owns 663,774 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $80,735,000 after purchasing an additional 116,178 shares in the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. grew its holdings in CRH by 36.2% during the 3rd quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 56,390 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,761,000 after purchasing an additional 14,985 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dynasty Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in CRH by 77.5% during the 3rd quarter. Dynasty Wealth Management LLC now owns 34,077 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $4,086,000 after buying an additional 14,877 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.