Crane (NYSE:CR) Short Interest Up 9.4% in January

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 475,800 shares, a growth of 9.4% from the January 15th total of 434,800 shares. Approximately 0.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 266,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.

Crane Price Performance

Shares of CR traded down $2.35 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $171.22. 163,463 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 261,244. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $161.29 and a two-hundred day moving average of $160.60. Crane has a 52-week low of $118.48 and a 52-week 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 company has a market cap of $9.80 billion, a PE ratio of 22.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.25.

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

Crane Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This is an increase from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.54%. Crane's dividend payout ratio is 18.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on CR shares. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 24th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on shares of Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. StockNews.com upgraded Crane from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Crane presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $174.80.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of Crane 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 in the company, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. The trade was a 6.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Creative Planning raised its holdings in Crane by 17.6% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 14,983 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $2,372,000 after buying an additional 2,247 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Crane in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Stonegate Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Crane in the 3rd quarter worth about $216,000. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Crane by 43.1% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 697 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Finally, Vest Financial LLC grew its holdings in Crane by 27.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 9,799 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $1,551,000 after purchasing an additional 2,125 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.