Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Acquires 56 Shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) by 10.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 569 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Eagle Materials were worth $140,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in EXP. US Bancorp DE lifted its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 1.9% in the 3rd quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,911 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,413,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Eagle Materials by 40.0% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 22,485 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,443,000 after purchasing an additional 6,424 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Eagle Materials in the third quarter worth approximately $235,000. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in Eagle Materials by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 4,084 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,175,000 after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Financial Strategies Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 4.4% during the third quarter. Financial Strategies Group Inc. now owns 1,022 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $304,000 after buying an additional 43 shares during the period. 96.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Eagle Materials Stock Performance

Shares of EXP opened at $220.72 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $245.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $269.37. 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 Inc. has a 52 week low of $208.02 and a 52 week high of $321.93. The stock has a market cap of $7.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.77 and a beta of 1.37.

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 the consensus estimate 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, analysts expect that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Eagle Materials’s payout ratio is 7.14%.

Insider Activity at Eagle Materials

In other Eagle Materials news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $257.36 per share, for a total transaction of $79,781.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,655 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $940,650.80. This trade represents a 9.27 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Jefferies Financial Group lowered Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Citigroup downgraded Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Loop Capital lowered Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, November 25th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Eagle Materials in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “hold” rating and a $242.00 target price on the stock. Finally, DA Davidson cut 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. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $292.40.

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.