Crane Company research snapshot
CR AI stock analysis currently reads Crane Company as a high-quality engineered industrial with two growth platforms, Aerospace & Advanced Technologies and Process Flow Technologies, plus recent acquisition-driven growth and raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance. At the July 12, 2026 data cutoff, CR traded near $219.07 with a verified market capitalization near $12.65 billion. The main offsets are a premium multiple near 39x trailing EPS, higher post-acquisition leverage, and integration risk, so this page uses scenario ranges and source checks rather than a certain stock price prediction, and is for informational use only.
Current price
$219.07
Market cap
$12.65 billion
AI score
69 / 100
Rating
High-quality engineered industrial, premium valuation after acquisitions
Trend status
Uptrend above the 200-day area and near 52-week highs, with mixed short-term signals after the June 2026 pivot
Data cutoff (updated weekly)
July 12, 2026
Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.
| Dimension | Conclusion | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Business quality | Crane sells highly engineered components for mission-critical aerospace, defense, space, and process-industry applications, with Q1 2026 sales of $696.4 million and adjusted operating margin near 19.8%. | High |
| Moat | Moat comes from certified aerospace and process-flow applications, switching friction in validated systems, aftermarket and installed base, engineering know-how, and acquisition-led specialty niches, not from one single product monopoly. | Medium-high |
| Management | CEO Alex Alcala assumed the role in the planned 2026 succession while Max Mitchell became Executive Chairman, continuing a growth model built on core sales, acquisitions, productivity, and a long dividend record. | Medium-high |
| Financial trend | Q1 2026 sales rose 24.9% with 3.8% core growth, adjusted EPS rose 15% to $1.65, full-year adjusted EPS guidance was raised to $6.65 to $6.85, and total backlog reached $1.79 billion. | High |
| Valuation | At $219.07, CR traded near 39.4x trailing EPS of $5.56, about 32.5x the $6.75 midpoint of 2026 adjusted EPS guidance, and about 6.0x book value near $36.35 per share. | Medium-high |
| Technical trend | Price sat near the top of its 52-week range, above the roughly $205 200-day area, with short-term resistance near the mid $210s to low $220s after a June pivot high. | Medium |
| Risk level | Main risks include acquisition integration, higher debt and interest expense, aerospace aftermarket and defense timing, process-flow demand, tariffs and inflation, goodwill impairment, CEO transition execution, and multiple compression. | Medium-high |
| AI confidence | High for descriptive facts and audited calculations, medium for forward scenarios and chart levels. | High data confidence |
| Investment certainty | Medium certainty. The page frames scenarios and monitoring rules, not a buy or sell instruction. | Medium |
CR AI stock forecast
The CR AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the $219.07 quote and Crane Company raised 2026 adjusted EPS guidance midpoint of $6.75. The audited three-year framework produced a bearish area near $152, a base area near $252, and a bullish area near $340 before dividends.
$325 to $350
More likely if core sales stay mid single digits, Druck, Panametrics, Reuter-Stokes, and optek-Danulat add expected accretion, adjusted segment margins hold near 23%, and the market values CR near the mid-30s on forward earnings.
$240 to $265
More likely if Crane compounds EPS around high single to low double digits, keeps backlog conversion steady, digests acquisition interest expense, and investors value the company near the high-20s on earnings.
$145 to $160
More likely if aerospace aftermarket softens, process-flow core sales stay weak, acquisitions miss synergy targets, debt costs pressure free cash flow, or the stock is repriced closer to 20x earnings.
CR AI technical analysis
CR AI technical analysis is constructive but not low-risk as of the July 12, 2026 data cutoff. Market data placed CR near $219.07 after a June 25, 2026 area pivot, with a 52-week range of $159.58 to $226.46, support near the $200 to $205 long-term moving-average zone, and resistance into the low $220s and the $226.46 high.
| Level | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Current price | $219.07 | Morningstar and Google Finance snapshots placed CR near $219.07 around July 10, 2026, after a July 9 close near $217.03 on MarketWatch. |
| Near support | $213 to $217 | Recent daily ranges and short-term averages clustered in the mid $210s, making this the first pullback zone if the stock fails near highs. |
| Deeper support | $199 to $205 | Investing.com listed a 200-day average near $204.95, while StockInvest cited longer-term average support near $199.40. |
| Near resistance | $218 to $221 | StockInvest and Investing.com short-term moving averages sat in the high $210s to low $220s, matching recent session highs near $221.28. |
| Upper resistance | $226.46 | Company investor relations and major market data sources listed $226.46 as the 52-week high. |
| Momentum | Mixed short-term, constructive intermediate | Price remained above the longer-term average and near the top of the 52-week range, while short-term averages and the June pivot sent mixed signals. |
| Volume | Average volume near 0.5 million shares | MarketWatch and Morningstar snapshots showed average volume near 0.5 to 0.54 million shares, with recent sessions often below that average. |
| Volatility | About 3% below 52-week high | The short distance from the high means upside follow-through needs confirmation instead of assuming a clean breakout. |
| Invalidation | Close below $199 | A decisive close below the long-term moving-average support zone would weaken the current trend setup and raise the risk of multiple compression. |
CR AI trading strategy
The CR AI trading strategy is a rules-based research framework for monitoring a premium engineered industrial near its highs after major acquisitions. It is not personal advice and should be paired with fresh chart data, filings, position sizing, and a defined invalidation level.
Watch for CR to hold the $213 to $217 zone, then reclaim the low $220s on volume above average. A move through $226.46 would need confirmation from Q2 results, acquisition contribution, backlog quality, and margin stability.
A close below $199 or a failed breakout after the next earnings update should invalidate the near-term trend setup.
If CR pulls back toward $199 to $205 without a negative guidance reset, compare price action with core sales, backlog, acquisition cash conversion, interest expense, and segment margins before treating the pullback as normal.
Do not average down without a maximum loss rule because quality industrials can still re-rate sharply when orders, integration, or free cash flow disappoint.
Track Aerospace & Advanced Technologies and Process Flow Technologies sales, core versus acquisition growth, backlog, adjusted segment margin, free cash flow, net debt, acquisition synergy delivery, commercial aftermarket commentary, and diluted share count near 59 million.
Reduce confidence if EPS growth depends mainly on purchase accounting, one-time cost cuts, or multiple expansion while core orders and cash conversion weaken.
Investment research summary
Customers pay Crane for engineered valves, pumps, sensing, flow, power, and aerospace electronics that must work in harsh or regulated environments. Reliability, certification, and application support are costly to replace once systems are installed.
The moat is a portfolio of niche engineered franchises rather than one fortress brand. Switching costs in aerospace and process systems, aftermarket attachment, technical specifications, and specialty acquisitions create resilience, but competitors can still win share on price, lead time, or new technology.
The thesis fails if Crane overpays for acquisitions, integration dilutes margins, higher debt outruns free cash flow, aerospace aftermarket softens more than expected, process-flow demand stalls, or investors stop paying a premium multiple for steady industrial execution.
Management should be judged by the Alcala succession, acquisition returns on Druck, Panametrics, Reuter-Stokes, and optek-Danulat, capital allocation between growth spending and dividends, backlog conversion quality, and whether per-share value compounds through a full industrial and aerospace cycle.
Crane sits inside long-duration demand for commercial aerospace, defense and space systems, industrial process automation, energy infrastructure, and mission-critical flow and sensing. Those end markets support multi-year growth but remain cyclical and policy sensitive.
At roughly 32.5x the 2026 adjusted EPS guidance midpoint, CR requires continued core growth plus clean acquisition accretion. Margin of safety improves if price revisits longer-term support while backlog, margins, and free cash flow remain intact.
Source-backed data
Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.
| Metric | Value | Source | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| CR price | $219.07 around July 10, 2026 | Morningstar and Google Finance market snapshots | July 12, 2026 |
| Market capitalization | $12.65 billion, verified as $219.07 x 57.75 million shares outstanding | financial_rigor.py market cap verification | July 12, 2026 |
| Shares outstanding | 57.75 million shares outstanding; Q1 average diluted shares 58.7 million; guidance diluted shares about 59 million | StockAnalysis statistics and Crane Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 net sales | $696.4 million, up 24.9% year over year, with 3.8% core growth and 18.3% acquisition contribution | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 segment sales | Aerospace & Advanced Technologies $318.3 million and Process Flow Technologies $378.1 million | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| Q1 2026 earnings | GAAP diluted EPS from continuing operations $1.14; adjusted EPS $1.65, up 15% | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| TTM revenue and net income | Revenue about $2.44 billion and net income about $326.6 million, cross-checked across market data sources | StockAnalysis and Seeking Alpha fundamental summaries | July 12, 2026 |
| FY2025 revenue | About $2.31 billion annual revenue, up roughly 8% year over year | StockAnalysis revenue history | July 12, 2026 |
| Cash and debt | $355.4 million cash and $1,198.2 million total debt outstanding at March 31, 2026 | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| Backlog | Total backlog $1.795 billion at March 31, 2026, including acquisition-related backlog | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| 2026 adjusted EPS guidance | $6.65 to $6.85 after the Q1 guidance raise, midpoint $6.75 | Crane Company Q1 2026 results release | July 12, 2026 |
| Three-scenario valuation | financial_rigor.py output: bullish $340, base $252, bearish $152 using $6.75 EPS midpoint | financial_rigor.py three-scenario calculation | July 12, 2026 |
This CR AI stock analysis page is an informational research tool only. It is not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future return. Forecast scenarios are based on available public data as of July 12, 2026 and can be wrong if Crane Company's fundamentals, market price, rates, or investor sentiment change.
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