Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Has $43.87 Million Stake in Crh Plc $CRH

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its stake in Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) by 5.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 350,563 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 19,271 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned approximately 0.05% of CRH worth $43,871,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC lifted its position in CRH by 87.6% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 212 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CRH during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. United Community Bank grew its stake in CRH by 359.6% during the third quarter. United Community Bank now owns 239 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. increased its holdings in CRH by 1,835.3% in the 2nd quarter. Riggs Asset Managment Co. Inc. now owns 329 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

CRH Trading Up 1.3%

Shares of CRH stock opened at $118.53 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $112.54 and its 200 day moving average is $117.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $79.21 billion, a PE ratio of 21.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.35. Crh Plc has a 1 year low of $81.60 and a 1 year high of $131.55.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 19th. The construction company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.20 by ($0.68). The company had revenue of $9.42 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.15 billion. CRH had a net margin of 10.02% and a return on equity of 15.98%. CRH’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.02 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Crh Plc will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.26%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on CRH. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of CRH from $133.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “overweight” rating and set a $139.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group upped their target price on CRH from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. DA Davidson set a $120.00 price target on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on CRH from $135.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $139.54.

About CRH

CRH plc, originally formed as Cement Roadstone Holdings in 1970 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global building materials group. The company has grown from its Irish roots into one of the largest international suppliers of construction materials, expanding primarily through acquisitions and regional business development. CRH operates an integrated network of manufacturing and distribution businesses that serve both public and private construction markets.

CRH’s core activities include the production and distribution of aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and other bulk materials, together with a broad range of value-added building products such as precast concrete, masonry, bricks, roofing products, pipe and drainage systems, and construction accessories.