Aviva PLC Has $331.78 Million Holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Aviva PLC trimmed its holdings in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 0.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,580,028 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 1,185 shares during the period. CRH accounts for about 0.9% of Aviva PLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Aviva PLC owned approximately 0.53% of CRH worth $331,782,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in CRH during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,391,245,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in CRH by 17.0% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 16,788,918 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,553,194,000 after purchasing an additional 2,437,868 shares during the last quarter. AGF Management Ltd. boosted its stake in CRH by 4,264.7% in the 4th quarter. AGF Management Ltd. now owns 1,034,527 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $95,714,000 after purchasing an additional 1,010,825 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its holdings in CRH by 32,560.1% in the 4th quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 951,714 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $88,053,000 after buying an additional 948,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in CRH by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 8,609,451 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $796,546,000 after buying an additional 826,758 shares during the period. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on CRH. Citigroup lowered their price target 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. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research report on Friday, February 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. Finally, StockNews.com raised CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $109.64.

CRH Trading Down 6.6 %

CRH stock opened at $80.63 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $98.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $96.61. CRH plc has a 12 month low of $71.18 and a 12 month high of $110.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.51%.

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.