Machina Capital S.A.S. Takes Position in Crh Plc $CRH

Machina Capital S.A.S. bought a new stake in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 24,838 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,978,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of CRH. Creekmur Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CRH in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. United Community Bank increased its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 187 shares during the last quarter. 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. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC raised its stake in CRH by 139.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 268 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on CRH shares. Exane BNP Paribas upgraded shares of CRH to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 23rd. Longbow Research started coverage on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of CRH from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of CRH from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of CRH in a report on Monday, December 1st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.87.

CRH Trading Down 2.1%

NYSE CRH opened at $122.05 on Wednesday. Crh Plc has a 1-year low of $76.75 and a 1-year high of $131.55. The company has a 50 day moving average of $124.45 and a 200-day moving average of $116.24. The company has a market cap of $81.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.31, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.33.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The construction company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $11.07 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 9.30%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.97 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Crh Plc will post 5.47 earnings per share for the current year.

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.