British stockbrokers Merrill Lynch is tipping CRH as a good buy for investors. The company states that the company can now beat its best estimates for 1999, and is set to become one of the main beneficiaries of favourable comparisons with its peers in the euro zone.

Merrill Lynch forecasts that the shares have the potential to rise from current levels of £10 to £13. It believes CRH can sustain profit growth of the order of 12 per cent per annum, with further acquisitions likely to further enhance its prospects.