BMO Capital Markets Upgrades Crane (NYSE:CR) to Strong-Buy

Crane (NYSE:CR) was upgraded by stock analysts at BMO Capital Markets to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the company. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Crane from $215.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $234.00.

Crane Stock Performance

Shares of CR opened at $217.90 on Monday. Crane has a 12 month low of $159.58 and a 12 month high of $226.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $201.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $193.30. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market cap of $12.58 billion, a PE ratio of 28.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.01.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch bought 150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $65,630.60. This trade represents a 68.18% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.12% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crane

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Crane by 27.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 22,060 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $3,379,000 after acquiring an additional 4,749 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its position in Crane by 23.6% during the 1st 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 raised its stake 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 buying an additional 4,217 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 17.0% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 1,696 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $257,000 after buying an additional 246 shares during the period. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane in the 2nd quarter valued at about $207,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Crane

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.