Headlands Technologies LLC Buys 17,082 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Headlands Technologies LLC raised its position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 142,350.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 17,094 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,082 shares during the period. Headlands Technologies LLC’s holdings in CRH were worth $1,582,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,391,245,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in CRH by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,788,918 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the last quarter. AGF Management Ltd. grew its stake in CRH by 4,264.7% in the 4th quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 1,034,527 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $95,714,000 after buying an additional 1,010,825 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in shares of CRH by 32,560.1% during the fourth quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 951,714 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $88,053,000 after purchasing an additional 948,800 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 826,758 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CRH Stock Performance

NYSE CRH opened at $88.88 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $99.37 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.78. CRH plc has a one year low of $71.18 and a one year high of $110.97. The company has a market capitalization of $60.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.78, 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. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.67%. This is a boost from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is 15.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CRH shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped 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 upgraded shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $109.64.

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.