Crane (NYSE:CR) is Kennedy Capital Management LLC's 10th Largest Position

Kennedy Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in Crane (NYSE:CR - Free Report) by 5.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 204,329 shares of the conglomerate's stock after selling 11,584 shares during the quarter. Crane makes up approximately 0.7% of Kennedy Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 10th largest holding. Kennedy Capital Management LLC owned 0.36% of Crane worth $31,007,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aviva PLC purchased a new position in shares of Crane in the 4th quarter valued at $538,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Crane in the third quarter valued at $515,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in Crane in the 4th quarter worth $12,890,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Crane by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 135,191 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $20,515,000 after buying an additional 2,953 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in Crane by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 323,272 shares of the conglomerate's stock valued at $49,057,000 after buying an additional 8,552 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.14% of the company's stock.

Crane Price Performance

CR stock traded up $0.87 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $142.17. The company had a trading volume of 95,423 shares, compared to its average volume of 258,071. The business has a 50 day moving average of $156.35 and a 200 day moving average of $161.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. Crane has a fifty-two week low of $127.04 and a fifty-two week high of $188.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Crane (NYSE:CR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 in the previous year, the firm posted $0.90 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. This is a positive change from Crane's previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Crane's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on CR. StockNews.com cut Crane from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus cut their target price on shares of Crane from $170.00 to $144.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Crane currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $169.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total transaction of $392,011.28. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 32,963 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. The trade was a 6.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.12% of the company's stock.

About Crane

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.