Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) Downgraded by Loop Capital to Hold

Loop Capital downgraded shares of Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Monday morning, MarketBeat reports. Loop Capital currently has $315.00 price target on the construction company’s stock.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Stephens boosted their price target on Eagle Materials from $280.00 to $315.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 1st. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on Eagle Materials from $309.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Eagle Materials from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Eagle Materials from $277.00 to $317.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Eagle Materials from $252.00 to $311.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $304.89.

Eagle Materials Price Performance

EXP stock opened at $315.50 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 2.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $294.49 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.03. Eagle Materials has a 52-week low of $177.67 and a 52-week high of $321.93. The company has a market capitalization of $10.58 billion, a PE ratio of 22.28 and a beta of 1.32.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The construction company reported $4.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.75 by ($0.44). Eagle Materials had a return on equity of 35.79% and a net margin of 21.32%. The business had revenue of $623.62 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $651.46 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.28 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Eagle Materials will post 15.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, January 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 16th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 16th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.32%. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.06%.

Insider Transactions at Eagle Materials

In other Eagle Materials news, Director George John Damiris sold 1,000 shares of Eagle Materials stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $277.62, for a total transaction of $277,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 7,943 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,205,135.66. The trade was a 11.18 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael Haack sold 11,888 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $310.50, for a total value of $3,691,224.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 85,811 shares in the company, valued at approximately $26,644,315.50. This trade represents a 12.17 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 17,866 shares of company stock valued at $5,482,931. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Eagle Materials

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 132.7% in the 1st quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 114 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eagle Materials in the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Eagle Materials by 10,750.0% during the 2nd quarter. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 217 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 215 shares during the period. EntryPoint Capital LLC grew its stake in Eagle Materials by 1,760.0% in the first quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC now owns 186 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Performance Advisors LLP bought a new stake in shares of Eagle Materials in the third quarter worth about $64,000. Institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Eagle Materials Company 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.