CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Holdings Lowered by DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale

DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale decreased its position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 5.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 3,865,426 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 210,539 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale owned about 0.56% of CRH worth $287,936,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. First Financial Corp IN acquired a new stake in CRH in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. NBC Securities Inc. grew its position in CRH by 71.5% in the first quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 415 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 173 shares in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the 2nd quarter valued at $43,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. purchased a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth $47,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in CRH by 30.5% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 783 shares of the construction company's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on CRH. StockNews.com lowered CRH from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, August 16th. Stephens began coverage on CRH in a research report on Tuesday, June 18th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $95.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of CRH from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $87.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of CRH from $109.00 to $99.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of CRH from $100.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $95.70.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:CRH traded up $0.82 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $87.48. The stock had a trading volume of 3,235,326 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,188,839. CRH plc has a 1-year low of $51.59 and a 1-year high of $91.02. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $83.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $81.48.

CRH (NYSE:CRH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The construction company reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.85. The business had revenue of $9.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.16 billion. Analysts anticipate that CRH plc will post 5.45 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 23rd will be given a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 23rd. This represents a yield of 1.7%.

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.