Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC Has $2.37 Million Position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC reduced its holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 3.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 25,584 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 991 shares during the period. Laird Norton Wetherby Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in CRH were worth $2,367,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of CRH by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,562,962 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $144,605,000 after purchasing an additional 114,072 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of CRH by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 32,557 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $3,012,000 after purchasing an additional 5,889 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of CRH by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $226,732,000 after purchasing an additional 232,977 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of CRH by 31.8% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 23,253 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,151,000 after purchasing an additional 5,610 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd increased its stake in shares of CRH by 19.9% during the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 72,778 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,733,000 after purchasing an additional 12,076 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Stock Up 4.4%

Shares of NYSE:CRH opened at $98.77 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $91.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $96.24. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $66.73 billion, a PE ratio of 19.75, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.33.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last announced its earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The construction company reported ($0.12) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.06) by ($0.06). CRH had a return on equity of 16.35% and a net margin of 9.86%. The business had revenue of $6.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.77 billion. On average, research analysts expect that CRH plc will post 5.47 EPS for the current year.

CRH Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 23rd will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. CRH’s payout ratio is presently 23.52%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently weighed in on CRH. Loop Capital began coverage on shares of CRH in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $114.00 price objective on the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of CRH in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of CRH from $127.00 to $108.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $112.36.

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.