StockNews.com Downgrades Crane (NYSE:CR) to Hold

Crane (NYSE:CR) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Crane from $176.00 to $170.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 24th. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $174.80.

Crane Stock Performance

NYSE CR opened at $165.23 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $161.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $160.84. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 1.18. Crane has a fifty-two week low of $121.04 and a fifty-two week high of $188.52.

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

Insider Activity at Crane

In related news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.96, for a total value of $392,011.28. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 32,963 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,635,354.48. The trade was a 6.50 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Crane

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CR. Creative Planning increased its holdings in Crane by 17.6% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 14,983 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $2,372,000 after purchasing an additional 2,247 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Crane by 43.1% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 697 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $101,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Crane by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 68,012 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $10,765,000 after purchasing an additional 3,500 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in Crane by 390.3% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,890 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $2,832,000 after purchasing an additional 14,241 shares during the period. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue increased its holdings in Crane by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 11,071 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $1,751,000 after purchasing an additional 380 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

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.