20,424 Shares in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Acquired by Allstate Corp

Allstate Corp acquired a new stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 20,424 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,890,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CRH. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of CRH by 7.9% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 1,562,962 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $144,605,000 after acquiring an additional 114,072 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CRH by 22.1% during the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 32,557 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $3,012,000 after purchasing an additional 5,889 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of CRH by 10.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,450,632 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $226,732,000 after purchasing an additional 232,977 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of CRH by 31.8% in the fourth quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 23,253 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,151,000 after purchasing an additional 5,610 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of CRH by 19.9% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 72,778 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,733,000 after buying an additional 12,076 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on CRH. 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 target on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective 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. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a 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 issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, CRH currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $109.64.

CRH Trading Down 4.4 %

CRH stock opened at $88.09 on Friday. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $99.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.57 billion, a PE ratio of 17.62, a price-to-earnings-growth 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 paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.68%. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.51%.

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.