Swiss National Bank Reduces Stock Holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Swiss National Bank decreased its position in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH - Free Report) by 5.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,928,860 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 110,700 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank owned 0.28% of CRH worth $178,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CRH. Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its position in CRH by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 2,335 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $216,000 after buying an additional 109 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 18.3% during the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 971 shares of the construction company's stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Manitou Investment Management Ltd. grew its position in shares of CRH by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Manitou Investment Management Ltd. now owns 11,203 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,037,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its stake in shares of CRH by 70.7% in the 3rd quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 391 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Graypoint LLC raised its holdings in CRH by 5.4% in the 4th quarter. Graypoint LLC now owns 3,315 shares of the construction company's stock worth $307,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

CRH Trading Up 0.4 %

CRH stock traded up $0.38 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $97.40. The company's stock had a trading volume of 6,379,999 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,754,679. The company's 50 day moving average is $99.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $96.15. 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 $65.93 billion, a PE ratio of 19.48, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.52%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH's previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.51%.

CRH 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.