Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Boosts Position in Crane $CR

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Crane (NYSE:CR) by 289,020.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,855,409 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 7,852,692 shares during the quarter. Crane makes up 0.7% of Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned 13.64% of Crane worth $1,448,773,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Horizon Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Crane in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Crane during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Assetmark Inc. increased its holdings in Crane by 57.9% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 180 shares of the conglomerate’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Crane during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Kelleher Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Crane in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. 75.14% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Crane Price Performance

Shares of CR stock opened at $171.73 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.75, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.15. 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 stock’s 50-day moving average is $179.69 and its 200 day moving average is $187.94. Crane has a 1-year low of $159.58 and a 1-year high of $214.31.

Crane (NYSE:CR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The conglomerate reported $1.65 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $672.74 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.39 earnings per share. The company’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. Research analysts predict that Crane will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Crane Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

CR has been the topic of several research reports. Wall Street Zen lowered Crane from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Crane from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $200.00 to $215.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $238.00 target price on shares of Crane in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $235.00 price target on shares of Crane in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Crane from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $226.33.

Insider Transactions at Crane

In other news, Director Susan D. Lynch purchased 150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $177.38 per share, with a total value of $26,607.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.12% of the company’s stock.

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.