Insider Buying: Crane (NYSE:CR) Director Purchases 1,500 Shares of Stock

Crane (NYSE:CR) Director Jennifer Pollino purchased 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $184.29 per share, for a total transaction of $276,435.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 1,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $276,435. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Crane Price Performance

Shares of CR stock traded up $2.87 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $185.51. 454,144 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 502,975. Crane has a 1-year low of $127.04 and a 1-year high of $214.31. The firm has a market cap of $10.68 billion, a PE ratio of 24.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.24. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $191.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $188.54. 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 (NYSE:CR) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, January 26th. The conglomerate reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.10. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The firm had revenue of $581.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $572.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.38 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.550-6.75 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Crane Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.255 per share. This is a boost from Crane’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Crane’s payout ratio is currently 16.32%.

Institutional Trading of Crane

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Crane in the second quarter valued at approximately $190,533,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Crane by 114.8% during the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 439,157 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $80,866,000 after acquiring an additional 234,681 shares in the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its position in Crane by 5,159.8% during the 2nd quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 232,851 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $44,216,000 after purchasing an additional 228,424 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in Crane by 116.2% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 401,596 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $73,950,000 after purchasing an additional 215,815 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Crane by 84.1% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 431,048 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $78,300,000 after purchasing an additional 196,917 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.14% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $238.00 target price on shares of Crane in a research note on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Crane from $200.00 to $201.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. CJS Securities upgraded shares of Crane to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Crane in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a research report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $224.00.

Crane Company Profile

Crane Co, headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, is a diversified manufacturer of engineered industrial products serving customers around the world. The company operates through two primary segments: Aerospace & Electronics and Engineered Materials. Its Aerospace & Electronics division designs and produces valves, fittings, manifolds, and filtration systems for aircraft fuel, hydraulics, and environmental control systems. The Engineered Materials segment focuses on advanced polymers, heat exchangers, and specialized composite solutions for industries including chemical processing, semiconductor manufacturing, and power generation.

With roots dating back to its founding in 1855 in Chicago by R.T.