Short Interest in Crane (NYSE:CR) Increases By 31.8%

Crane (NYSE:CR) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 627,100 shares, an increase of 31.8% from the January 31st total of 475,800 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 262,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.4 days. Currently, 1.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

Crane Price Performance

NYSE:CR opened at $154.67 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88. Crane has a one year low of $124.30 and a one year high of $188.52. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $161.94 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.67. The stock has a market cap of $8.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.49, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.30.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.19 by $0.07. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.90 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be given a $0.23 dividend. This is a boost from Crane’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. This represents a $0.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Crane’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.18%.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total transaction of $392,011.28. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. This trade represents a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH bought a new stake in Crane in the fourth quarter valued at about $8,194,000. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in Crane by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 18,447 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $2,799,000 after purchasing an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC grew its stake in shares of Crane by 15.0% in the 4th quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 132,559 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $20,116,000 after purchasing an additional 17,295 shares during the period. Voloridge Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane in the 4th quarter worth approximately $8,232,000. Finally, Twinbeech Capital LP lifted its position in shares of Crane by 65.6% during the 4th quarter. Twinbeech Capital LP now owns 46,422 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $7,045,000 after buying an additional 18,395 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

CR has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com cut Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. DA Davidson boosted their target price on Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. UBS Group increased their price target on Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their price objective on shares of Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.80.

Crane Company Profile

Crane Company, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells engineered industrial products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Aerospace & Electronics, Process Flow Technologies, and Engineered Materials.