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

Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) by 62.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 314,654 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 121,041 shares during the quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in CRH were worth $29,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Heck Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in CRH during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Whipplewood Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of CRH during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its position in shares of CRH by 87.7% during the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 505 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 236 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new position in CRH in the fourth quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in CRH by 111.4% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 668 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 352 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 62.50% of the company’s stock.

CRH Trading Down 4.4 %

Shares of NYSE CRH opened at $88.09 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $59.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.30. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $99.77 and its 200 day simple moving average is $96.68. CRH plc has a 12-month low of $71.18 and a 12-month high of $110.97.

CRH Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. This is an increase from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. CRH’s payout ratio is 15.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently commented on CRH shares. Berenberg Bank set a $120.00 target price on CRH in a research note on Friday, February 28th. Citigroup decreased their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price 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, StockNews.com upgraded CRH from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, CRH currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $109.64.

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.