Commonwealth Equity Services LLC Sells 893 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lessened its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 2.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 36,576 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 893 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC’s holdings in CRH were worth $3,384,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in CRH. Heck Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in CRH in the fourth quarter worth approximately $32,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter worth approximately $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 236 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in CRH by 111.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 668 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH stock opened at $97.93 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $66.29 billion, a PE ratio of 19.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. CRH plc has a 1 year low of $71.18 and a 1 year high of $110.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $99.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.53.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on CRH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com raised CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup dropped their target price on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.64.

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.