Hodges Capital Management Inc. Makes New Investment in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Hodges Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 88,645 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,201,000.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC bought a new position in CRH during the second quarter valued at approximately $628,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 54,780 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $4,088,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares in the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of CRH during the 2nd quarter valued at $2,138,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in CRH by 106.2% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,291 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $120,000 after purchasing an additional 665 shares during the period. Finally, Azzad Asset Management Inc. ADV bought a new stake in CRH in the third quarter worth $601,000. Institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

CRH Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE CRH opened at $99.15 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $97.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.31. CRH plc has a 52-week low of $71.18 and a 52-week high of $104.23. The company has a market cap of $67.34 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a PEG ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a Variable dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd were paid a dividend of $0.262 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 22nd. This represents a yield of 1.4%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.00%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on CRH. Barclays initiated coverage on CRH in a report on Tuesday, October 29th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $110.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price target on CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on shares of CRH from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of CRH from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, StockNews.com raised CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, CRH presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $107.75.

CRH Company 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.