CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) Shares Bought by Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 62.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 314,654 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 121,041 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in CRH were worth $29,112,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in shares of CRH by 40.1% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 5,508 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $511,000 after buying an additional 1,577 shares in the last quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of CRH during the third quarter valued at approximately $405,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in CRH during the third quarter worth approximately $501,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. lifted its position in CRH by 32.4% in the third quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 8,762 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $813,000 after purchasing an additional 2,144 shares during the period. Finally, Bridgewater Associates LP increased its position in shares of CRH by 325.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 24,181 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $2,243,000 after purchasing an additional 18,502 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

CRH Trading Down 4.4 %

Shares of CRH stock opened at $88.09 on Friday. CRH plc has a 1 year low of $71.18 and a 1 year high of $110.97. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $99.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $96.68. The company has a market cap of $59.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.68%. CRH’s payout ratio is presently 15.51%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on CRH. StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of CRH from $120.00 to $115.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price objective on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, CRH has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.64.

CRH 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.