Whittier Trust Co. Grows Position in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

Whittier Trust Co. boosted its stake in shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) by 3.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 71,938 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,601 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. owned approximately 0.22% of Eagle Materials worth $17,751,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $473,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd grew its position in Eagle Materials by 78.1% during the 4th quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,252 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $309,000 after purchasing an additional 549 shares during the last quarter. Xponance Inc. grew its position in Eagle Materials by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 6,045 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,492,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $952,000. Finally, RD Lewis Holdings Inc. purchased a new stake in Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter worth approximately $285,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Eagle Materials Price Performance

Eagle Materials stock opened at $218.39 on Thursday. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.44 and a 52-week high of $321.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.60 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $239.45 and a 200-day simple moving average of $266.45. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EXP has been the topic of several recent research reports. Loop Capital downgraded shares of 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. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $242.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup cut shares of Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $330.00 to $310.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Stephens reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $310.00 target price on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $286.40.

Insider Activity at Eagle Materials

In related news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of $257.36 per share, with a total value of $79,781.60. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,655 shares in the company, valued at $940,650.80. This represents a 9.27 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.