US Bancorp DE Decreases Holdings in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

US Bancorp DE reduced its position in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) by 12.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,297 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 614 shares during the quarter. US Bancorp DE’s holdings in Eagle Materials were worth $1,060,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in Eagle Materials by 53.0% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 205 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $64,000. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in Eagle Materials in the 4th quarter worth approximately $81,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Eagle Materials by 10.6% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 676 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $167,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $170,000. 96.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eagle Materials

In related news, Director Michael R. Nicolais acquired 310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.36 per share, with a total value of $79,781.60. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,655 shares in the company, valued at approximately $940,650.80. This trade represents a 9.27 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Eagle Materials Price Performance

NYSE:EXP opened at $213.84 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 2.76 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $244.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $269.02. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 1-year low of $205.44 and a 1-year high of $321.93. The firm has a market cap of $7.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.27 and a beta of 1.37.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.97 by ($0.38). Eagle Materials had a return on equity of 34.14% and a net margin of 20.91%. Equities research analysts forecast that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently commented on EXP. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a “hold” rating and a $242.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Eagle Materials from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 27th. Loop Capital lowered Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, November 25th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and issued a $310.00 price objective on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and dropped their target price for the company from $330.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Eagle Materials currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $292.40.

Eagle Materials Profile

Eagle Materials Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates in four segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement, including Portland limestone cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures, as well as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades; manufacture and sale of recycled paperboard to the gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters; the sale of readymix concrete; and mining and sale of aggregates, such as crushed stone, sand, and gravel.