Analysts Set Crane (NYSE:CR) Target Price at $174.80

Shares of Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the six research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $174.80.

CR has been the subject of several research reports. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com cut shares of Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on shares of Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th.

Crane Stock Performance

CR traded up $2.70 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $154.29. 334,401 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 228,605. The company's 50-day moving average is $161.82 and its 200 day moving average is $161.55. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.86 billion, a PE ratio of 20.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.30. Crane has a 52 week low of $126.03 and a 52 week high of $188.52.

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Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.90 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. This is an increase from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. Crane's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total transaction of $392,011.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares in the company, valued at $5,635,354.48. This trade represents a 6.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Crane

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,194,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its position in Crane by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 18,447 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its stake in Crane by 15.0% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 132,559 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $20,116,000 after purchasing an additional 17,295 shares in the last quarter. Voloridge Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter valued at about $8,232,000. Finally, Twinbeech Capital LP lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 65.6% in the 4th quarter. Twinbeech Capital LP now owns 46,422 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $7,045,000 after acquiring an additional 18,395 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Crane

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.