DF Dent & Co. Inc. Has $31.68 Million Stake in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

DF Dent & Co. Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Free Report) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 128,385 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 4,603 shares during the period. DF Dent & Co. Inc. owned about 0.39% of Eagle Materials worth $31,680,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 53.0% in 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 during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in Eagle Materials by 154.8% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 237 shares of the construction company's stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Eagle Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $81,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the construction company's stock worth $140,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 10.6% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 676 shares of the construction company's stock worth $167,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. 96.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Eagle Materials Price Performance

Shares of NYSE EXP traded down $0.95 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $211.17. The company's stock had a trading volume of 174,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 325,755. The company has a current ratio of 2.76, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market cap of $7.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.14 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $232.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $263.18. Eagle Materials Inc. has a one year low of $205.44 and a one year high of $321.93.

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Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.97 by ($0.38). Eagle Materials had a net margin of 20.91% and a return on equity of 34.14%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. 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. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $310.00 price objective on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Eagle Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $242.00 target price for the company. Citigroup lowered Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their price target for the company from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Eagle Materials from $310.00 to $250.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $279.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Eagle Materials news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired 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. The trade was a 9.27 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.60% 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.