Banco BTG Pactual S.A. Boosts Stock Position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Banco BTG Pactual S.A. boosted its position in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 86.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 7,627 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 3,547 shares during the quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A.’s holdings in CRH were worth $707,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Heck Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its holdings in CRH by 87.7% during the 4th quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the 4th quarter worth approximately $57,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 111.4% in 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 during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on CRH. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. 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. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.64.

CRH Stock Up 0.2 %

CRH opened at $98.34 on Wednesday. CRH plc has a 52 week low of $71.18 and a 52 week high of $110.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $100.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.62. The firm has a market cap of $66.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.67, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is a boost from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s payout ratio is currently 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.