Brokerages Set CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Target Price at $109.25

Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Buy” from the twelve analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $109.25.

A number of brokerages have recently commented on CRH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th.

Institutional Trading of CRH

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CRH. Orion Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Park Square Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its stake in CRH by 214.3% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of CRH in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

CRH Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of CRH stock opened at $94.79 on Wednesday. CRH has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The company has a market cap of $64.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.96, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $99.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $96.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.56%. CRH’s payout ratio is 15.51%.

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.