StockNews.com upgraded shares of Crane (NYSE:CR - Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Friday morning.
A number of other research firms have also issued reports on CR. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Crane presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $174.80.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Crane
Crane Stock Performance
Shares of CR traded up $3.21 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $171.83. 220,963 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 266,855. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Crane has a twelve month low of $118.48 and a twelve month high of $188.52. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $161.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $160.32.
Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.90 EPS. Analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.
Crane Increases Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be paid a $0.23 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 28th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.54%. This is a boost from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. Crane's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.18%.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other Crane 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 sale, the vice president now directly owns 32,963 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. This trade represents a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane
A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 15,625 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $2,371,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 1,455 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $221,000 after buying an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 1,439 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $218,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 8,196 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $1,244,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NorthRock Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 1,954 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $297,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Crane Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Featured Articles
Before you consider Crane, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Crane wasn't on the list.
While Crane currently has a "Moderate Buy" rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Nuclear energy stocks are roaring. It's the hottest energy sector of the year. Cameco Corp, Paladin Energy, and BWX Technologies were all up more than 40% in 2024. The biggest market moves could still be ahead of us, and there are seven nuclear energy stocks that could rise much higher in the next several months. To unlock these tickers, enter your email address below.
Get This Free Report
Like this article? Share it with a colleague.
Link copied to clipboard.
