CRH PLC Stock News (Dec. 17, 2025): Buyback Update, New Aggregates Deal and S&P 500 Catalyst Keep CRH Shares in Focus

CRH plc (NYSE: CRH) was trading around $124 per share in Wednesday’s session, down about 2% on the day, as investors balanced company-specific updates against broader market moves.

While the day’s price action was mixed, the news flow around CRH stock is anything but quiet. On Dec. 17, 2025, CRH published a fresh “Transaction in Own Shares” update tied to its ongoing repurchase plan, while the market continues to digest the company’s S&P 500 inclusion—now scheduled for next week—and its latest bolt-on acquisition in the U.S. aggregates market.

Below is a detailed look at what’s driving attention to CRH shares today, what the latest company guidance says about the business heading into 2026, and what analysts are forecasting for the stock.

What’s happening with CRH stock today

1) CRH confirms another U.S. share repurchase (Transaction in Own Shares)

In a regulatory announcement dated 17 December 2025, CRH said it acquired 31,000 ordinary shares in the United States on 16 December 2025 through Santander US Capital Markets LLC, with the repurchased shares set to be cancelled. The filing also disclosed a daily volume-weighted average price of $127.7276, with the day’s high at $128.86 and low at $126.83 (NYSE trading venue listed as XNYS). ^[1]

CRH framed the activity as part of its intention to buy back up to $300 million in ordinary shares through Feb. 17, 2026, consistent with the company’s buyback framework announced alongside results earlier in the quarter. ^[2]

After settlement and cancellation, CRH stated it expects to have 669,215,002 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) and 38,043,540 shares in treasury, representing 5.379% of the issued ordinary share capital (treasury shares carry no voting rights). ^[3]

Why this matters for investors:
Daily buyback disclosures are routine for companies running structured repurchase programs, but they can still influence sentiment—especially for large-cap names where the market is closely watching capital return intensity (dividends plus buybacks) and share count reduction.

2) U.S. aggregates expansion: North American Aggregates acquisition

CRH also remains active on the M&A front. In a company announcement carried by Business Wire, CRH said it acquired North American Aggregates (NAA), an aggregates supplier headquartered in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. CRH described the deal as expanding its CRH Americas Materials aggregates footprint in New York and New Jersey, and highlighted that NAA’s New Jersey waterfront plant adds aggregate reserves and processing/screening capabilities that integrate with CRH’s Tilcon NY operations. ^[4]

The company emphasized the strategic centrality of aggregates to its U.S. business, with CRH Americas Materials President Jason Jackson noting that 95% of CRH’s revenues in North America are connected to aggregates. ^[5]

Financial terms were not disclosed in the announcement. ^[6]

Why this matters for CRH stock:
CRH is leaning into a familiar playbook—using bolt-on acquisitions to deepen local reserves, increase vertical integration, and strengthen pricing power and logistics advantages in dense metropolitan markets where permitting and reserves can be scarce.

3) Dividend payment lands today (Dec. 17)

For income-focused investors, today is also a key date on CRH’s shareholder calendar. CRH previously declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per ordinary share, representing a 6% increase year-over-year, and scheduled the payment date for Dec. 17, 2025. ^[7]

The dividend timetable in the company’s materials lists Nov. 21, 2025 as the ex-dividend date and record date, with Dec. 17, 2025 as the payment date. ^[8]

Why it matters:
Dividends can support total return narratives—especially when combined with buybacks—by signaling management confidence in cash generation and durability through the cycle.

The biggest near-term catalyst: CRH’s S&P 500 inclusion (Dec. 22)

CRH has one major market-structure event directly ahead: joining the S&P 500.

In an announcement dated Dec. 8, 2025, CRH said it was selected to join the S&P 500 index, effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, following the establishment of its primary NYSE listing in September 2023. ^[9]

This matters because S&P 500 inclusion typically triggers passive fund rebalancing. Index funds and ETFs that track the S&P 500 may need to purchase CRH shares in order to replicate the index composition. That mechanical demand is one reason stocks often see elevated volume and volatility around the effective date.

A Reuters item carried by TradingView noted that, around the S&P 500 inclusion news, 22 of 25 analysts covering the stock had a “buy” or higher rating (with 3 “hold”), and cited a median price target of 10,107p based on LSEG data. ^[10]

What investors are watching into Dec. 22:

Whether S&P 500-related buying pressure meaningfully offsets broader market volatility.
Whether the stock “sells the news” after index inclusion is completed.
Whether liquidity and shareholder base changes reduce volatility over time—or simply shift it.

CRH’s latest guidance and fundamentals heading into 2026

A stock can get a short-term boost from index mechanics, but longer-term returns usually come back to earnings power, cash generation, and capital allocation. On that front, CRH’s most recent company guidance continues to paint a picture of resilient demand in key end markets and disciplined capital deployment.

Updated 2025 guidance (as reaffirmed after Q3)

In its Q3 2025 materials, CRH updated its 2025 guidance while emphasizing “another year of growth and value creation” as it looks into 2026. ^[11]

CRH’s updated 2025 guidance ranges included: ^[12]

Net income:$3.8–$3.9 billion
Adjusted EBITDA:$7.6–$7.7 billion (midpoint raised versus previous)
Diluted EPS:$5.49–$5.72
Capital expenditure:$2.7–$2.8 billion

Those figures sit alongside narrative guidance that expects favorable underlying demand across key end markets, supported by public infrastructure investment and reindustrialization activity, while acknowledging a more subdued new-build residential environment. ^[13]

Q3 performance snapshot

In its third-quarter results release, CRH reported Q3 revenue of $11.1 billion (up 5% year over year), net income of $1.5 billion (up 9%), and adjusted EBITDA of $2.7 billion (up 10%). ^[14]

The company also highlighted the scale of its acquisition engine and capital returns, noting continued acquisitions and ongoing shareholder distributions through dividends and buybacks. ^[15]

Takeaway:
The combination of (1) improving or sustained margins, (2) recurring bolt-on acquisitions in aggregates-heavy markets, and (3) consistent capital return is the core investment narrative many shareholders are underwriting.

CRH stock forecast: what analysts are projecting now

Forecasts vary by data provider and coverage universe, but the overall message is broadly consistent: analysts generally rate CRH favorably, with price targets implying modest upside from current levels.

Consensus price targets and ratings

MarketBeat’s analyst compilation (updated 12/17/2025) shows: ^[16]

Consensus rating: “Moderate Buy”
18 analyst ratings in the last 12 months (16 Buy, 2 Hold, 0 Sell)
Average price target:$132.60
High/low targets:$160 high and $114 low

New coverage: Longbow Research initiates with “Buy”

A Nasdaq item summarizing Fintel data reported that Longbow Research initiated coverage of CRH with a Buy recommendation (dated Dec. 16, 2025). The report cited an average one-year price target of $135.20, with a forecast range from $93.05 to $157.50. ^[17]

Analyst commentary tied to S&P 500 flows

In a separate market wrap tied to CRH’s acquisition and index inclusion narrative, Investing.com reported that Jefferies reiterated a Buy rating with a $140 price target, highlighting potential technical support from passive fund flows associated with S&P 500 inclusion. Investing.com also reported DA Davidson raising a price target to $116 while maintaining a Neutral rating. ^[18]

How to read these forecasts:
Price targets aren’t guarantees—particularly for cyclical building materials names. But they do help define where analysts believe normalized earnings and cash flows could take the valuation, especially once the “event-driven” S&P 500 inclusion passes.

Key risks and what could pressure CRH shares

Even with supportive catalysts, CRH stock is still exposed to the realities of construction and infrastructure cycles. The most commonly cited risks for companies like CRH typically include:

Macro sensitivity: Higher interest rates or weaker commercial activity can slow construction starts and bid volumes.
Materials and energy costs: Cement and aggregates are energy-intensive; margins can be pressured if input inflation outruns pricing.
Execution risk in M&A: CRH’s strategy benefits from acquisitions, but integration and pricing assumptions must hold.
Post-index inclusion volatility: Stocks sometimes rally into inclusion and then retrace once passive buying is complete.

CRH’s guidance language itself flags the possibility of disruptions from political or macroeconomic conditions, even while assuming normal seasonal patterns. ^[19]

What to watch next for CRH stock

If you’re following CRH (NYSE: CRH) into year-end and early 2026, the next checkpoints are relatively clear:

Dec. 22, 2025: Effective date for S&P 500 inclusion, which could influence volume and short-term trading dynamics. ^[20]
Ongoing: Additional daily/periodic buyback disclosures as CRH works through its up to $300 million repurchase plan running to Feb. 17, 2026. ^[21]
Acquisition integration: Any follow-up detail on the operational and strategic benefits of the North American Aggregates purchase—particularly in the New York/New Jersey corridor. ^[22]
2026 outlook: How CRH translates its end-market expectations into updated guidance as the new year approaches. ^[23]

CRH is entering the final stretch of 2025 with a rare combination of catalysts for a construction materials name: index inclusion, capital returns, and continued U.S. aggregates expansion. Whether that translates into sustained outperformance will depend less on the headlines and more on how the company converts its scale and pricing power into durable earnings growth through 2026 and beyond.