CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Shares Purchased by Sterling Capital Management LLC

Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 4.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 261,616 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,287 shares during the quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC's holdings in CRH were worth $24,205,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of CRH by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,562,962 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $144,605,000 after purchasing an additional 114,072 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC raised its holdings in CRH by 22.1% during the fourth quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 32,557 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,012,000 after purchasing an additional 5,889 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in CRH by 10.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $226,732,000 after purchasing an additional 232,977 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of CRH by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 23,253 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,151,000 after buying an additional 5,610 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 19.9% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 72,778 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $6,733,000 after buying an additional 12,076 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company's stock.

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CRH Stock Down 1.0 %

Shares of NYSE:CRH traded down $0.82 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $85.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,627,664 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,860,763. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $95.71 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.14. CRH plc has a 1 year low of $71.18 and a 1 year high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $57.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.74%. This is an increase from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.66%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. StockNews.com raised shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $112.36.

CRH Profile

CRH plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides building materials solutions in Ireland and internationally. It operates through four segments: Americas Materials Solutions, Americas Building Solutions, Europe Materials Solutions, and Europe Building Solutions. The company provides solutions for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure and commercial and residential buildings; and produces and sells aggregates, cement, readymixed concrete, and asphalt, as well as provides paving and construction services.