Traders Buy High Volume of CRH Call Options (NYSE:CRH)

CRH plc (NYSE:CRH) was the recipient of unusually large options trading on Friday. Stock investors bought 12,808 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 123% compared to the typical volume of 5,744 call options.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on CRH. HSBC initiated coverage on CRH in a report on Monday, November 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $116.00 price target for the company. Hsbc Global Res raised CRH to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Truist Financial lifted their target price on shares of CRH from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 8th. DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of CRH from $110.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on CRH from $114.00 to $116.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $108.45.

CRH Price Performance

Shares of CRH stock traded down $4.28 on Friday, hitting $94.50. 3,502,183 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,611,969. The company’s fifty day moving average is $98.99 and its 200 day moving average is $95.68. CRH has a 1-year low of $71.18 and a 1-year high of $110.97. The company has a market capitalization of $64.19 billion, a PE ratio of 19.00, a PEG 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. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 14th. This is a positive change from CRH’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.57%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 20.87%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On CRH

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Arkadios Wealth Advisors boosted its position in CRH by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 2,335 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $216,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd grew its position in CRH by 20.4% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 755 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in CRH by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,810 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $630,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares in the last quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of CRH by 2.9% in the third quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 4,815 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $447,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of CRH by 3.2% during the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 4,367 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $405,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares during the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

CRH Company 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.