Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of CRH Put Options (NYSE:CRH)

CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 10,262 put options on the company. This is an increase of 64% compared to the typical daily volume of 6,253 put options.

CRH Trading Down 3.8 %

Shares of NYSE:CRH opened at $94.68 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $64.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.94, a PEG ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $99.29 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $95.98. CRH has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a $0.37 dividend. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.56%. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. CRH’s payout ratio is presently 20.87%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on CRH. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a report on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On CRH

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH increased its holdings in shares of CRH by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH now owns 27,769 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,568,000 after buying an additional 2,522 shares during the last quarter. Park Square Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Brucke Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in CRH during the fourth quarter worth about $608,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of CRH by 70.6% in the 4th quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. now owns 61,078 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,654,000 after purchasing an additional 25,278 shares during the period. Finally, Capital A Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter valued at about $345,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

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.