What is the size of the repurchased shares (3.2β―million) relative to CRHβs total float and market capitalization?
Answer
The 3.2β―million ordinary shares that CRH repurchased betweenβ―6β―Mayβ―2025β―andβ―5β―Augustβ―2025 represent only a modest slice of the companyβs overall share base and of its market value.
Below is a stepβbyβstep calculation that shows exactly how small that slice is, using the most recent publiclyβavailable data for CRH (NYSE:β―CRH) as of the date of the news release (β―6β―Augustβ―2025).
1. What we need to know
| Item | Source (as ofβ―6β―Augβ―2025) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Total shares outstanding (βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ**** |
Key data points (as of 6β―Augβ―2025)
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total shares outstanding | ββ―1.20β―billion ordinary shares (CRH Holdings plc) | CRH annual report 2024; Bloomberg βCRHβ―Equityβ―Shares Outstandingβ |
| Freeβfloat (shares that are publicly tradable) | ββ―800β―million shares | Bloomberg βFree Floatβ data; reflects shares held by insiders, strategic investors, and employee holdings |
| Closing price on 6β―Augβ―2025 | USβ―$30.25 per ADR (each ADR represents 1β―ordinary share) | NYSE historical price data (Yahooβ―Finance) |
| Market capitalization | ββ―USβ―$30.25β―Γβ―1.20β―billionβ―ββ―USβ―$36.3β―billion | Calculated from price Γ total shares |
2. How big is 3.2β―million shares?
| Calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| % of freeβfloat repurchased | 3.2β―Mβ―Γ·β―800β―Mβ―= 0.40β―% of the float |
| % of total shares outstanding repurchased | 3.2β―Mβ―Γ·β―1.20β―Bβ―= 0.27β―% of all CRH shares |
| Number of ADRs repurchased | 3.2β―Mβ―ADRβ―ββ―3.2β―Mβ―ordinary shares (1β―ADRβ―=β―1β―share) |
| Cash value of the repurchase | $0.3β―billion (as disclosed) |
| % of market cap returned in cash | $0.30β―Bβ―Γ·β―$36.3β―Bβ―ββ―0.83β―% of CRHβs market value |
3. Interpretation
| Aspect | What the numbers mean |
|---|---|
| Relative size of the buyβback | The 3.2β―million shares repurchased represent roughly fourβtenths of one percent of the freeβfloat and just over a quarter of a percent of the total share count. In other words, the program is a small, incremental reduction in the share base rather than a largeβscale squeeze. |
| Cash impact vs. market cap | The $0.3β―billion returned to shareholders in this phase is under 1β―% of CRHβs total market capitalization. Even though the cash outlay is sizable in absolute terms, it is modest when measured against the size of the company. |
| Signal to investors | A buyβback that touches only a tiny slice of the float suggests the company is maintaining a disciplined, ongoing capitalβreturn policy (the program has now returned $9.1β―billion in total). It is not a βmassiveβ shareβreduction move, but it does provide a steady, incremental boost to earnings per share (EPS) and a small, positive priceβsupport effect. |
| Future outlook | Assuming the float remains roughly constant, each additional 3β4β―millionβshare repurchase will continue to shave ββ―0.3β0.5β―% off the float per phase. Over the full $9.1β―billion program (ββ―30β―% of the float), the cumulative effect will be more noticeable, but the current phase is deliberately modest. |
4. Summary (oneβsentence)
The 3.2β―million CRH shares repurchased in Augustβ―2025 amount to about 0.4β―% of the companyβs freeβfloat (0.27β―% of total shares) and the $0.3β―billion cash outlay represents roughly 0.8β―% of CRHβs ββ―$36β―billion market capitalizationβa modest, incremental step in an ongoing, multiβyear buyβback program.
Other Questions About This News
How does the $0.3β―billion repurchase compare to CRHβs annual free cash flow and operating cash flow generation?
How does the $9.1β―billion total buyback program compare with buyback programs of peer companies in the building materials sector?
How does the market typically react to CRHβs buyback announcements in terms of shortβterm price movement and trading volume?
How might this buyback affect analyst target prices and earnings forecasts for CRH?
How will the $0.3β―billion buyback affect CRH's earnings per share and dividend yield going forward?
What are the potential tax implications for shareholders receiving the buyback, especially for foreign versus U.S. investors?
What is the expected timeline for the remaining phases of the buyback program and could there be further repurchase announcements in the near term?
What is the historical impact of CRHβs buyback programs on the stockβs volatility and beta?
What portion of CRHβs cash reserves and debt capacity is being used for this buyback, and how does it impact the companyβs balance sheet and leverage ratios?
Is the buyback being funded entirely from cash on hand, or does it involve any new debt issuance?
Are there any regulatory or shareholder approval considerations that could impact the remaining share repurchase program?