Bessemer Group Inc. Increases Stock Position in Crane (NYSE:CR)

Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in Crane (NYSE:CR - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 221,143 shares of the conglomerate's stock after buying an additional 9,290 shares during the period. Bessemer Group Inc. owned about 0.39% of Crane worth $33,557,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in CR. Aviva PLC bought a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter valued at about $538,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $515,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth approximately $12,890,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of Crane by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 135,191 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $20,515,000 after acquiring an additional 2,953 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Crane by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 323,272 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $49,057,000 after acquiring an additional 8,552 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Crane Stock Up 1.1 %

CR traded up $1.56 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $142.86. 90,862 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 258,048. Crane has a 1 year low of $127.04 and a 1 year high of $188.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.18. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.20 billion, a PE ratio of 18.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $156.35 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $161.03.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.07. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.90 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were given a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.64%. This is a boost from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Crane's payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com downgraded Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. DA Davidson restated a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their target price on shares of Crane from $170.00 to $144.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $169.60.

Insider Buying and Selling at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of Crane stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total value of $392,011.28. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. The trade was a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 2.12% of the company's stock.

Crane Company Profile

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.