Crane (NYSE:CR) Given Average Recommendation of “Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) have earned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $226.3333.

Several brokerages have weighed in on CR. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Crane from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price target for the stock from $200.00 to $215.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $235.00 price objective on shares of Crane in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th.

Crane Price Performance

Crane stock opened at $183.12 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Crane has a 52-week low of $159.58 and a 52-week high of $214.31. The firm has a market cap of $10.57 billion, a PE ratio of 24.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.15. The company’s 50 day moving average is $178.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $187.00.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $696.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $672.74 million. Crane had a return on equity of 24.45% and a net margin of 13.10%.The company’s revenue was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.39 earnings per share. Crane has set its FY 2026 guidance at 6.650-6.850 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Crane will post 7.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Crane Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 29th will be issued a $0.255 dividend. This represents a $1.02 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 29th. Crane’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.35%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch acquired 150 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 370 shares in the company, 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.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CR. TD Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Assetmark Inc. boosted its position in shares of Crane by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 180 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors acquired a new position in shares of Crane during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.