AXQ Capital LP Invests $274,000 in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

AXQ Capital LP acquired a new position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 2,957 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $274,000.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in CRH by 40.1% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 5,508 shares of the construction company's stock worth $511,000 after purchasing an additional 1,577 shares during the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of CRH in the 3rd quarter worth about $405,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. bought a new stake in shares of CRH in the 3rd quarter worth about $210,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of CRH by 25.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,217,655 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $205,665,000 after buying an additional 446,363 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 21.8% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 9,342 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $866,000 after acquiring an additional 1,670 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CRH has been the topic of several analyst reports. StockNews.com raised CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup cut their target price on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $109.64.

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CRH Price Performance

NYSE CRH traded down $2.48 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $92.10. 10,479,793 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,140,249. The company has a market cap of $62.28 billion, a PE ratio of 18.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. CRH plc has a 52 week low of $71.18 and a 52 week high of $110.97. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $100.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $96.61.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. CRH's payout ratio is currently 15.51%.

About CRH

CRH plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides building materials solutions in Ireland and internationally. It operates through four segments: Americas Materials Solutions, Americas Building Solutions, Europe Materials Solutions, and Europe Building Solutions. The company provides solutions for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings; and produces and sells aggregates, cement, readymixed concrete, and asphalt, as well as provides paving and construction services.