CRH Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:CRH)

Crh Plc (NYSE:CRH) was the target of some unusual options trading on Tuesday. Traders purchased 8,104 put options on the company. This represents an increase of 60% compared to the average daily volume of 5,055 put options.

CRH Stock Performance

NYSE CRH traded down $4.92 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $126.46. 2,807,574 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,998,491. The stock has a market cap of $84.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.34. CRH has a 1 year low of $76.75 and a 1 year high of $131.55. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $121.03 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.99.

CRH (NYSE:CRH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The construction company reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.94 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $11.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.15 billion. CRH had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 9.30%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.97 EPS. CRH has set its FY 2025 guidance at 5.490-5.720 EPS. Research analysts forecast that CRH will post 5.47 EPS for the current fiscal year.

CRH Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 17th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were paid a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. CRH’s dividend payout ratio is currently 22.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on CRH from $130.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. DA Davidson boosted their price objective on CRH from $110.00 to $116.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. UBS Group raised their target price on CRH from $138.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. Longbow Research began coverage on shares of CRH in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $160.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $138.00 price objective (up previously from $133.00) on shares of CRH in a report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $136.20.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. L2 Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of CRH by 3.0% during the second quarter. L2 Asset Management LLC now owns 3,028 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $278,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of CRH by 34.8% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 356 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of CRH by 2.4% during the third quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 4,126 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $495,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares during the period. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC raised its holdings in CRH by 87.6% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 212 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC boosted its holdings in CRH by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Sound View Wealth Advisors Group LLC now owns 3,082 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $370,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 62.50% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About CRH

CRH plc, originally formed as Cement Roadstone Holdings in 1970 and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global building materials group. The company has grown from its Irish roots into one of the largest international suppliers of construction materials, expanding primarily through acquisitions and regional business development. CRH operates an integrated network of manufacturing and distribution businesses that serve both public and private construction markets.

CRH’s core activities include the production and distribution of aggregates, cement, asphalt, ready-mixed concrete and other bulk materials, together with a broad range of value-added building products such as precast concrete, masonry, bricks, roofing products, pipe and drainage systems, and construction accessories.