Bollard Group LLC Invests $427,000 in Crane $CR

Bollard Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund purchased 2,497 shares of the conglomerate’s stock, valued at approximately $427,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of Crane by 289,020.7% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 7,855,409 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $1,448,773,000 after purchasing an additional 7,852,692 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth about $198,509,000. Freestone Grove Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth about $76,171,000. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Crane by 85.6% in the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 799,864 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $147,519,000 after buying an additional 368,816 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. grew its position in shares of Crane by 4,412.6% in the fourth quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 240,836 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $44,417,000 after purchasing an additional 235,499 shares during the last quarter. 75.14% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Crane Stock Up 3.7%

Shares of NYSE:CR opened at $226.22 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.96, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.01. Crane has a 1 year low of $159.58 and a 1 year high of $226.99. The business’s 50-day moving average is $204.46 and its 200-day moving average is $194.23. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. Crane had a net margin of 13.10% and a return on equity of 24.45%. The business had revenue of $696.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $672.74 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.39 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current year.

Crane Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Investors of record on Friday, May 29th were given a $0.255 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 29th. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.5%. Crane’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on CR. Weiss Ratings cut Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Crane from $215.00 to $242.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Crane in a research note on Monday. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $253.00 price target for the company. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Crane currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $234.00.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In related news, Director Susan D. Lynch purchased 150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $177.38 per share, for a total transaction of $26,607.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $65,630.60. This trade represents a 68.18% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.12% of the company’s stock.

About Crane

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.