JPMorgan Chase & Co. Issues Positive Forecast for CRH (NYSE:CRH) Stock Price

CRH (NYSE:CRH) had its price target boosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $135.00 to $140.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the construction company’s stock.

CRH has been the subject of a number of other research reports. BNP Paribas Exane raised CRH to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CRH in a report on Monday, December 22nd. DA Davidson set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of CRH from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of CRH from $142.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $137.86.

CRH Trading Down 3.6%

NYSE:CRH opened at $113.49 on Tuesday. CRH has a 12 month low of $76.75 and a 12 month high of $131.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $75.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.56, a PEG ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.33. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $124.28 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $119.27.

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

CRH Increases Dividend

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

Institutional Trading of CRH

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in shares of CRH by 87.6% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 212 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. United Community Bank increased its holdings in CRH by 359.6% in the 3rd quarter. United Community Bank now owns 239 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. raised its stake in CRH by 1,835.3% in the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 329 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 312 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

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.