Sterling Capital Management LLC Sells 6,573 Shares of Crane $CR

Sterling Capital Management LLC decreased its position in Crane (NYSE:CR) by 13.3% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 43,008 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after selling 6,573 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Crane were worth $7,354,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in CR. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Crane by 27.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 22,060 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $3,379,000 after acquiring an additional 4,749 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Crane by 23.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 440,817 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $67,524,000 after purchasing an additional 84,278 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 3.2% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 136,776 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $20,951,000 after purchasing an additional 4,217 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 17.0% during the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,696 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $257,000 after purchasing an additional 246 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $207,000. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Crane

In related news, Director Susan D. Lynch acquired 150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was bought at an average price of $177.38 per share, for a total transaction of $26,607.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,630.60. The trade was a 68.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.12% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Crane Price Performance

Shares of CR opened at $219.41 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Crane has a twelve month low of $159.58 and a twelve month high of $226.46. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.06, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a 50 day moving average of $189.44 and a 200-day moving average of $189.88.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $696.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $672.74 million. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.39 earnings per share. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Crane Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th were paid a dividend of $0.255 per share. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 29th. Crane’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.35%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently issued reports on CR shares. Stifel Nicolaus raised Crane from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $200.00 to $215.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $226.33.

Crane Profile

Crane Co, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products serving customers around the world. The company operates through two primary segments: Aerospace & Electronics and Engineered Materials. Its Aerospace & Electronics division designs and produces valves, fittings, manifolds, and filtration systems for aircraft fuel, hydraulics, and environmental control systems. The Engineered Materials segment focuses on advanced polymers, heat exchangers, and specialized composite solutions for industries including chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and power generation.

With roots dating back to its founding in 1855 in Chicago by R.T.