Crane (NYSE:CR) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) have received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $174.80.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on CR shares. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $200.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price target on shares of Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 24th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd.

Insider Activity at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total value of $392,011.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. This represents a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crane

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CR. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Crane by 487.8% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 241 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp acquired a new position in Crane during the third quarter worth $45,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Crane by 69.1% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 372 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in Crane during the third quarter valued at $86,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Crane Stock Down 2.3 %

NYSE:CR opened at $152.27 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $162.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.87. The company has a market cap of $8.74 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.30. Crane has a twelve month low of $128.50 and a twelve month high of $188.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.07. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.90 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a $0.23 dividend. This is a boost from Crane’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 28th. Crane’s payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

About Crane

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.