Crane (NYSE:CR) Shares Sold by Blue Trust Inc.

Blue Trust Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) by 47.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 364 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after selling 333 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc.’s holdings in Crane were worth $55,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Crane during the third quarter valued at $37,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Crane in the third quarter worth approximately $45,000. Truvestments Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Crane during the third quarter worth approximately $56,000. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Crane by 69.1% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 372 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Crane in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $86,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Crane Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CR opened at $161.22 on Wednesday. Crane has a fifty-two week low of $121.07 and a fifty-two week high of $188.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 1.18 and a quick ratio of 0.88. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $161.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $161.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.24.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, January 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.26 EPS 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 firm posted $0.90 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.23 dividend. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.57%. This is a boost from Crane’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.21. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Crane’s payout ratio is currently 18.18%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Crane news, VP Alejandro Alcala sold 2,293 shares of the 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 transaction, the vice president now directly 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 1.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on shares of 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 upped their price target on Crane from $185.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Crane from $152.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.80.

About Crane

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.