ExodusPoint Capital Management LP Sells 267,962 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

ExodusPoint Capital Management LP lowered its holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 53.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 237,627 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 267,962 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP's holdings in CRH were worth $21,985,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank purchased a new position in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,391,245,000. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its holdings in CRH by 17.0% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,788,918 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd. raised its stake in shares of CRH by 4,264.7% in the fourth quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 1,034,527 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $95,714,000 after buying an additional 1,010,825 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI increased its holdings in CRH by 32,560.1% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 951,714 shares of the construction company's stock worth $88,053,000 after acquiring an additional 948,800 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in 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 worth $796,546,000 after purchasing an additional 826,758 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, CRH presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $109.64.

CRH Stock Performance

Shares of CRH stock traded up $1.60 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $82.82. The company had a trading volume of 2,664,655 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,549,396. CRH plc has a 52-week low of $71.18 and a 52-week high of $110.97. The company has a 50 day moving average of $98.12 and a 200 day moving average of $96.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is a boost from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is presently 22.66%.

About CRH

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.