Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. Sells 12,248 Shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH)

Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P. reduced its position in CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 23.0% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 40,916 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 12,248 shares during the quarter. Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.’s holdings in CRH were worth $3,786,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH bought a new position in CRH in the 4th quarter valued at about $326,000. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. increased its holdings in CRH by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 455,560 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $42,148,000 after buying an additional 3,061 shares during the period. Vinva Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 197.8% in the 4th quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 12,929 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,195,000 after purchasing an additional 8,588 shares in the last quarter. Xponance Inc. boosted its stake in shares of CRH by 15.7% in the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 68,529 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $6,340,000 after purchasing an additional 9,314 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new stake in shares of CRH in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $18,721,000. 62.50% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

CRH Price Performance

NYSE:CRH opened at $97.55 on Friday. CRH plc has a one year low of $71.18 and a one year high of $110.97. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $99.75 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.27. The company has a market cap of $66.03 billion, a PE ratio of 19.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.52%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 price target on shares of CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of CRH from $118.00 to $114.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note 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 on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $109.25.

About CRH

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.