CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Shares Sold by Victory Capital Management Inc.

Victory Capital Management Inc. trimmed its stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 3.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 184,047 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 7,058 shares during the quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in CRH were worth $17,028,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. FMR LLC increased its stake in CRH by 33.4% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 36,156,017 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,341,258,000 after purchasing an additional 9,055,354 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CRH by 515.7% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 5,103,194 shares of the construction company's stock worth $473,270,000 after buying an additional 4,274,336 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of CRH by 8.7% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 14,351,050 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,329,796,000 after acquiring an additional 1,148,708 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of CRH by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,609,451 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $796,546,000 after acquiring an additional 826,758 shares during the period. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its position in shares of CRH by 48.2% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,484,746 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $231,206,000 after acquiring an additional 808,061 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Stock Up 4.0 %

NYSE CRH opened at $98.46 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.65 billion, a PE ratio of 19.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $99.25 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $95.99.

CRH Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH's payout ratio is presently 20.87%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $109.25.

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CRH Company 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.

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