Crane (NYSE:CR) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $174.80.

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

Crane Stock Performance

NYSE:CR opened at $137.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $161.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $161.88. The stock has a market cap of $7.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.31. Crane has a twelve month low of $128.50 and a twelve month high of $188.52.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last posted its earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 period in the previous year, the business posted $0.90 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.67%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Crane’s dividend payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were 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 directly owns 32,963 shares in the company, valued at $5,635,354.48. The trade was a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.12% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crane

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in Crane by 487.8% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 241 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of Crane by 69.1% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 372 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $56,000 after acquiring an additional 152 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new position in shares of Crane during the third quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Crane Company Profile

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.