CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Shares Purchased by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 17.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,788,918 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. owned 2.47% of CRH worth $1,553,194,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,391,245,000. AGF Management Ltd. grew its position in CRH by 4,264.7% in the fourth quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 1,034,527 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $95,714,000 after acquiring an additional 1,010,825 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its stake in CRH by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,609,451 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $796,546,000 after acquiring an additional 826,758 shares during the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its position in CRH by 48.2% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 2,484,746 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $231,206,000 after purchasing an additional 808,061 shares during the period. Finally, Janus Henderson Group PLC grew its holdings in shares of CRH by 21.4% during the 3rd quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 3,688,831 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $337,477,000 after purchasing an additional 649,993 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

CRH Trading Down 4.4 %

Shares of NYSE CRH opened at $88.09 on Monday. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $99.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.76. The company has a market cap of $59.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.51%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRH has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target 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 upgraded CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $109.64.

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.