CRH plc stock (NYSE: CRH) is in the spotlight on Friday, December 19, 2025, as investors weigh a fresh share repurchase disclosure, a busy run-up to the company’s upcoming S&P 500 inclusion, and a steady drumbeat of bullish Wall Street forecasts tied to U.S. infrastructure and non-residential construction demand.
As of the latest U.S. market data available today, CRH shares trade around $127.
What’s new today: CRH reports another buyback execution
CRH disclosed that it repurchased 31,200 ordinary shares on December 18, 2025 in the U.S. via its broker, Santander US Capital Markets LLC, and that the shares will be cancelled. The company reported a volume-weighted average price of $126.5724 per share, with a daily high of $127.24 and daily low of $125.18, executed on XNYS. [1]
After settlement and cancellation, CRH said it will have 669,152,102 ordinary shares in issue (excluding treasury shares) and will hold 38,043,540 shares in treasury, representing 5.379% of issued ordinary share capital (treasury shares carry no voting rights). [2]
Why this matters for CRH stock
Buybacks can support earnings-per-share optics over time by reducing the share count, but the near-term market impact usually depends on (1) the pace of repurchases, (2) valuation, and (3) whether buybacks are incremental to dividends and growth investment. In CRH’s case, today’s filing reinforces that capital returns remain active heading into year-end.
The broader buyback program behind today’s transaction
Today’s repurchase is part of CRH’s $300 million buyback program that began November 6, 2025 and is scheduled to end no later than February 17, 2026. CRH has stated the purpose is to reduce share capital, with repurchased shares to be cancelled, and indicated a maximum of 60,000,000 shares may be acquired under this tranche. [3]
This matters because it gives investors a defined window to monitor the program’s intensity—and because buybacks can become especially visible when they overlap with index-driven trading and year-end liquidity dynamics.
S&P 500 inclusion: a major catalyst investors are watching
CRH has confirmed it will be added to the S&P 500, effective prior to the open of trading on Monday, December 22, 2025. [4]
Index additions can generate incremental demand from passive funds and benchmarked strategies that must hold the new constituent. Earlier this month, Jefferies argued CRH could benefit from passive flows and estimated that inclusion could drive substantial buying demand, highlighting the mechanics that can support liquidity and pricing during index transitions (even though the firm’s timing expectations earlier in the month did not match CRH’s later-confirmed effective date). [5]
CRH’s fundamentals: latest results and updated 2025 guidance
While today’s headline is the buyback filing, the underlying investment debate still comes back to CRH’s operating momentum.
In its third-quarter 2025 results, CRH reported:
- Total revenues:$11.1 billion (up 5% year over year)
- Net income:$1.5 billion (up 9% YoY)
- Adjusted EBITDA:$2.7 billion (up 10% YoY)
- Diluted EPS:$2.21 (up 12% YoY) [6]
CRH also updated 2025 guidance following Q3, including:
- Net income:$3.8–$3.9 billion
- Adjusted EBITDA:$7.6–$7.7 billion (raised vs. prior range)
- Diluted EPS:$5.49–$5.72
- Capital expenditure:$2.7–$2.8 billion [7]
Management also pointed to a positive 2026 outlook across key end-markets, supported by scale, portfolio connectivity, pricing execution, and acquisitions. [8]
Dividend: another lever in CRH’s shareholder return story
CRH declared a quarterly dividend of $0.37 per share (a year-over-year increase referenced in its Q3 materials), paid December 17, 2025 to shareholders of record November 21, 2025. [9]
Between dividends and buybacks, CRH continues to position itself as a “total return” infrastructure materials name—an angle that often resonates with long-horizon funds.
Analyst forecasts on Dec. 19: ratings, targets, and what they imply
A key reason CRH stock is trending in market coverage today is the steady positive tone from analysts and research aggregators.
Consensus rating and average price target
According to MarketBeat’s compilation published Dec. 19, 2025, CRH carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” from 18 research firms, with an average 12‑month target price of $132.60. [10]
StockAnalysis, using a different dataset, shows 14 analysts with a consensus “Strong Buy” and an average price target of $131.71, with targets ranging from $114 to $160. [11]
Differences like these are common: analyst counts, covered brokers, and “most recent target” methodologies often vary across platforms—so investors typically focus on the direction of revisions and the range of outcomes, not one single “consensus” number.
Recent notable target and rating actions (as cited by aggregators)
Across the same sources:
- Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $140 (from $131) and maintained an “overweight/buy” stance (dated Dec. 10, 2025 in the compiled feeds). [12]
- Longbow Research initiated coverage at $160 with a bullish rating (dated Dec. 16, 2025 in StockAnalysis’ listing). [13]
- Jefferies reiterated a Buy and $140 target earlier in December while discussing the potential for index-related support. [14]
Important context: Price targets are not guarantees. They can change quickly with macro assumptions (rates, public infrastructure spend cadence), construction cycle signals, and valuation shifts.
Strategic narrative: why CRH is increasingly seen as a U.S. infrastructure “core holding”
CRH has been leaning into a U.S.-centered identity for several years. It notes the NYSE became its primary listing venue on September 25, 2023, while it remains listed on both NYSE and the London Stock Exchange. [15]
That U.S. tilt is also reflected in external coverage: Reuters has described CRH as heavily exposed to North America, where it makes about 75% of its profit, benefiting from infrastructure and non-residential activity. [16]
In the same Reuters coverage, CRH leadership has argued that tariffs are less directly disruptive to its core products because they are heavy and often sourced locally—though the broader construction cycle can still be affected by macro policy and input-cost swings. [17]
Sustainability and “next generation” cement: the Eco Material angle
CRH’s strategic push also includes decarbonization-related materials.
In 2025, CRH agreed to acquire Eco Material Technologies for $2.1 billion, framing it as a way to secure long-term supply of materials used in lower‑carbon cement and concrete solutions. [18]
Later, Reuters reported CRH expects the U.S. market for supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) to double by 2050, and tied that expectation to CRH’s positioning and the Eco Material deal rationale. [19]
For CRH stockholders, this matters because SCMs can potentially:
- expand margin opportunities in value-added materials,
- improve resilience versus traditional cement cycle volatility,
- and align CRH with regulatory and customer-driven decarbonization priorities.
What investors will watch next
Here are the near-term catalysts and risk checks likely to shape CRH stock sentiment after Dec. 19:
- S&P 500 inclusion on Dec. 22
Watch trading volumes and any price dislocations into/around the effective date. [20] - Buyback pace through Feb. 17, 2026
CRH’s ongoing daily repurchase disclosures can provide a real-time signal of capital return intensity. [21] - Execution vs. 2025 guidance
The updated guidance range—especially the raised Adjusted EBITDA outlook—is a key benchmark for credibility into 2026. [22] - Construction cycle cross-currents
CRH’s bullish case often leans on infrastructure and non-residential strength. Any slowdown in project starts, funding delays, or margin pressure from labor/energy could shift the narrative. [23]
Bottom line for CRH plc stock on Dec. 19, 2025
CRH plc enters the final stretch of 2025 with three supportive pillars visible in today’s news flow:
- a continuing buyback program (with a fresh daily execution disclosed today), [24]
- a high-profile S&P 500 addition set for Dec. 22, [25]
- and a generally constructive analyst outlook with average targets clustering in the low-$130s and upside cases up to $160. [26]
References
1. www.investegate.co.uk, 2. www.investegate.co.uk, 3. www.crh.com, 4. www.crh.com, 5. www.investing.com, 6. www.crh.com, 7. www.crh.com, 8. www.crh.com, 9. www.crh.com, 10. www.marketbeat.com, 11. stockanalysis.com, 12. www.marketbeat.com, 13. stockanalysis.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.crh.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.crh.com, 21. www.crh.com, 22. www.crh.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.investegate.co.uk, 25. www.crh.com, 26. www.marketbeat.com
