Quality Investor

CRH plc

Rank #298Capital ReturnWatchlistCompare with other stocks

CRH · NYSE · Basic Materials

CRH plc (CRH) — Rank #298 by gross profitability (GP/assets 0.23) · ROE 15.6% · Piotroski F-Score 6 / 9.

As-of 2026-10-30 · CIK 0000849395 · all metrics point-in-time as of the filing date.

About

CRH plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides building materials solutions in Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally.

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It operates through three segments: Americas Materials Solutions, Americas Building Solutions, and International Solutions. The company offers building materials for the construction and maintenance of public infrastructure, and commercial and residential buildings, as well as construction and renovation of transportation infrastructure, critical utility networks, commercial and residential buildings, and outdoor living spaces; paving and construction services; and produces and sells aggregates, cementitious materials, ready mixed concrete and mortars, and asphalt. It also manufactures, supplies, and delivers building products for the built environment in communities in North America; and provides building and infrastructure solutions for complex critical utility infrastructure, such as water, energy, transportation, and telecommunications projects, and outdoor living solutions for private and public spaces. In addition, the company produces and supplies precast and pre-stressed concrete products comprising vaults, pipes, and manholes; and concrete and polymer-based products, such as underground vaults, drainage systems, enclosures, and modular precast structures for applications in transportation, water, energy, and telecommunications markets. Further, it provides crushed stone, sand, and gravel; granite, limestone, and sandstone; fly ash, pozzolans, synthetic gypsum, calcined clay, and ground granulated blast-furnace slags; fencing and railing systems, lawn and garden products, and packaged concrete mixes; and concrete masonry, hardscape and related products, including pavers, blocks and curbs, retaining walls, and slabs.

CRH plc was founded in 1936 and is based in Dublin, Ireland.

Industry
Building Materials
Sector
Basic Materials
State
L2
Filer Category
Large accelerated filer
Fiscal Year End
December 31
Website
crh.com

Company Snapshot

P/E and reverse DCF are the primary valuation lenses at this stage.

Market Cap

—

P/E (annual)

—

P/S (annual)

—

P/B

—

P/OCF (annual)

—

Shareholder Yield

—

Employees

83,032

Industry

Building Materials

Exchange

NYSE

12/12

Flags passed

CRH passes 12/12 quality flags

  • PASS
    Gross margin holding
  • PASS
    Dilution within 2%
  • PASS
    FCF not negative from investment
  • PASS
    Disclosure consistent
  • PASS
    Revenue not declining
  • PASS
    Operating margin holding
  • PASS
    Free cash flow intact
  • PASS
    Passes safety gate
  • PASS
    Balance sheet stable
  • PASS
    No competitive retreat
  • PASS
    SBC not compressing margin
  • PASS
    No valuation convergence

Strengths Revenue growth accelerating · Operating leverage expanding · Sequential beat (rev + EPS)

A count of the 12 warning flags that could be evaluated. Unweighted: colour follows the worst flag.

Quality Profile

Profitability

1/1 pass
GP / assets
0.23
Return on equity
15.6%
Gross margin trend
PASS

Safety

1/1 pass
Balance-sheet safety
PASS
Debt / equity
1.32
Current ratio
1.58×
Net cash
-$14.90B

Cash Flow

2/3 pass
Positive FCF
PASS
Cash-backed earnings
WARN
Accruals healthy
PASS
SBC / revenue
0.4%

Growth

2/2 pass
Revenue growth
5.3%
Piotroski F-Score
6 / 9
Share dilution
-1.8%

FCF yield, shareholder yield, and buyback activity are the primary reads at this stage.

Profitability

Does it make money well?

No warning flags · GP/assets 0.23

Gross profitability (GP / assets)

0.23

Primary signal (Novy-Marx).

Return on equity

15.6%

Gross margin

36.1%

Revenue growth (YoY)

5.3%

RPO growth (YoY)

-12.3%

Remaining performance obligations growth — RPO > revenue = forward demand building.

Gross margin improving

Margin trend vs prior year.

PASS

Operating Leverage

2022202320242025
Revenue vs COGS
Revenue vs OpEx
Op. Income vs Revenue

Growth

Revenue CAGR (3Y)

4.6%

Revenue CAGR (5Y)

—

Earnings CAGR (3Y)

-0.9%

FCF CAGR (3Y)

—

Cash Flow Health

Is the cash real?

No warning flags · FCF 22% below net income

Free cash flow

$2.91B

Operating cash flow minus capex.

Positive free cash flow

PASS

FCF vs net income

-22.4%

(FCF − net income) ÷ |net income|. Positive: cash above earnings. Negative: below.

FCF not below net income

Fails when free cash flow is below net income (yellow flag).

WARN

Accruals healthy

Cash-backed earnings.

PASS

SBC / revenue

0.4%

Stock-based comp intensity.

Balance Sheet Strength

Can it survive a storm?

No warning flags · net debt $14.90B, F-Score 6/9

Balance-sheet safety

Composite anti-fragile check.

PASS

Debt / equity

1.32

Current ratio

1.58×

Quick ratio

0.33×

Net cash

-$14.90B

Cash & equivalents minus total debt.

Piotroski F-Score

6 / 9

Fundamental-strength score (0-9).

Valuation

Is the price reasonable?

No warning flags

Capital allocation quality

Composite score

2.3 / 5

Fair
Share count trend(net buybacks)
-1.8%3/5 Good
Buyback timing
N/AN/A
Dividend growth consistency(non-payer or broken streak)
0 yr3/5 Good
Net debt trajectory
-5.7%1/5 Weak

Lifecycle Phase History

20212025
Capital Return

Price History

CRH+88.9% · +13.5% CAGRSPY+82.9% · +12.8% CAGR