Crane (NYSE:CR) Sets New 1-Year Low - Time to Sell?

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $127.04 and last traded at $132.31, with a volume of 83173 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $137.13.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently commented on CR shares. StockNews.com cut Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a "buy" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $174.80.

Crane Trading Up 0.2 %

The stock's 50 day moving average is $156.99 and its 200-day moving average is $161.13. The company has a market cap of $8.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.65, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 firm earned $0.90 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were issued a $0.23 dividend. This is a positive change from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.65%. Crane's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.18%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total transaction of $392,011.28. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 32,963 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,635,354.48. This represents a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 2.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crane

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CR. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Crane in the 3rd quarter worth $515,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in shares of Crane in the fourth quarter worth about $12,890,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Crane by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 135,191 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $20,515,000 after buying an additional 2,953 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake 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. Finally, Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Crane by 50.5% in the 4th quarter. Twelve Points Wealth Management LLC now owns 9,535 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $1,447,000 after acquiring an additional 3,200 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company's stock.

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.