Fmr LLC Acquires 4,687,345 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Fmr LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 13.0% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,843,362 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,687,345 shares during the quarter. Fmr LLC owned 0.06% of CRH worth $3,781,004,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRH. Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its stake in shares of CRH by 4.9% in the fourth quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 2,335 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its stake in CRH by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,810 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $630,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in CRH by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,367 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $405,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in CRH by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 971 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $90,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Manitou Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in CRH by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. Manitou Investment Management Ltd. now owns 11,203 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,037,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Trading Down 6.6 %

Shares of CRH stock opened at $80.63 on Friday. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97. The company has a market capitalization of $54.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $98.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $96.66.

CRH Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a dividend of $0.37 per share. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CRH has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their target price on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus 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.