Brokerages Set Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) PT at $137.86

Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the nineteen analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $137.8571.

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on CRH shares. Longbow Research began coverage on CRH in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target for the company. UBS Group increased their price objective on CRH from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Monday, December 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of CRH from $152.00 to $150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Monday, December 22nd.

CRH Stock Performance

Shares of CRH opened at $106.36 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $71.07 billion, a PE ratio of 19.27, a PEG ratio of 1.94 and a beta of 1.33. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $123.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $119.13. CRH has a 52 week low of $76.75 and a 52 week high of $131.55.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last issued its earnings results 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 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 quarterly revenue was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.02 EPS. CRH has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.600-6.050 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that CRH will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a $0.39 dividend. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 20.11%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRH

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