Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) Given Average Recommendation of “Hold” by Brokerages

Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) has been given an average rating of “Hold” by the ten brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $292.40.

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus began 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 on the stock. DA Davidson decreased their price target on Eagle Materials from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Loop Capital cut Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Eagle Materials from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $330.00 to $310.00 in a report on Monday, December 16th.

Eagle Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EXP opened at $213.84 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Eagle Materials has a 52 week low of $205.44 and a 52 week high of $321.93. The stock has a market cap of $7.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.27 and a beta of 1.37. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $244.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $268.92.

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

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Eagle Materials news, Director Michael R. Nicolais acquired 310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $257.36 per share, with a total value of $79,781.60. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,655 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $940,650.80. This represents a 9.27 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in EXP. Private Trust Co. NA raised its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 53.0% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 205 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Eagle Materials by 154.8% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 237 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the period. Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new position in Eagle Materials during the 3rd quarter valued at $64,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $81,000. Finally, LGT Financial Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 233.1% in the 4th quarter. LGT Financial Advisors LLC now owns 443 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $109,000 after acquiring an additional 310 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

About Eagle Materials

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.