Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) Hits New 1-Year Low - Here's Why

Shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $209.98 and last traded at $208.76, with a volume of 24152 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $218.77.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

EXP has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Tuesday. They issued a "hold" rating and a $242.00 price objective for the company. Stephens restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $310.00 price objective on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Eagle Materials from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 27th. DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Eagle Materials from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Finally, Loop Capital downgraded shares of Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $315.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, November 25th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $292.40.

Eagle Materials Stock Down 3.2 %

The firm has a market cap of $7.12 billion, a PE ratio of 15.27 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 2.76. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $244.35 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $268.92.

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Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 EPS 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect 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. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. Eagle Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Eagle Materials

In related news, Director Michael R. Nicolais purchased 310 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $257.36 per share, with a total value of $79,781.60. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,655 shares in the company, valued at $940,650.80. This trade represents 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. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eagle Materials

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 78.1% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 37,948 shares of the construction company's stock worth $10,915,000 after purchasing an additional 16,645 shares during the period. Baupost Group LLC MA grew its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 46.2% during the 3rd quarter. Baupost Group LLC MA now owns 500,273 shares of the construction company's stock worth $143,904,000 after purchasing an additional 158,171 shares during the period. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 3rd quarter worth $920,000. Natixis Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 11.8% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 27,265 shares of the construction company's stock worth $7,843,000 after purchasing an additional 2,871 shares during the period. Finally, Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP acquired a new stake in Eagle Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,041,000. 96.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.