Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Purchases Shares of 208,291 CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 208,291 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $18,721,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. FMR LLC raised its holdings in shares of CRH by 33.4% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 36,156,017 shares of the construction company's stock worth $3,341,258,000 after acquiring an additional 9,055,354 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its position 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. boosted 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 buying an additional 1,148,708 shares during the period. AGF Management Ltd. boosted its position 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 worth $95,714,000 after buying an additional 1,010,825 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 10.6% in 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 acquiring an additional 826,758 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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CRH Stock Performance

CRH traded down $2.80 on Friday, reaching $94.79. The company had a trading volume of 37,706,618 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,999,080. CRH plc has a fifty-two week low of $71.18 and a fifty-two week high of $110.97. The stock has a market cap of $64.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The company's fifty day moving average is $99.81 and its 200 day moving average is $96.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is a positive change from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.56%. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have issued reports on CRH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup decreased their price target on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, StockNews.com raised CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $109.25.

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.