Federated Hermes Inc. Decreases Position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Federated Hermes Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 13.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,197,403 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 189,586 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. owned 0.18% of CRH worth $110,784,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CRH. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its position in CRH by 214.3% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 352 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 240 shares during the last quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CRH during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its holdings in shares of CRH by 87.7% in the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Spire Wealth Management purchased a new stake in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at $57,000. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Price Performance

NYSE:CRH opened at $80.63 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $98.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.66. CRH plc has a 1-year low of $71.18 and a 1-year high of $110.97. The firm has a market cap of $54.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.13, 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 issued a $0.37 dividend. This is a boost from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. CRH’s payout ratio is presently 22.66%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com raised CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of 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 given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.64.

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.