Neuberger Berman Group LLC Lowers Position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Neuberger Berman Group LLC reduced its stake in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 2.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,878,157 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 41,970 shares during the quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC owned approximately 0.28% of CRH worth $173,781,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also bought and sold shares of CRH. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in CRH by 214.3% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 87.7% in the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of CRH in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CRH has been the topic of several research analyst reports. 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 report on Tuesday, March 11th. Loop Capital initiated coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $114.00 price target for the company. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of CRH from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday. 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.com, the stock has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $109.83.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH traded up $0.02 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $85.80. 1,606,984 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,616,300. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $96.09 and a 200-day moving average of $96.21. CRH plc has a one year low of $71.18 and a one year high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $58.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.16, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.72%. CRH's dividend payout ratio is currently 22.66%.

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.