Quantbot Technologies LP Acquires New Stake in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 7,242 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $1,787,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Eagle Materials by 1.4% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,981 shares of the construction company's stock worth $858,000 after purchasing an additional 41 shares in the last quarter. Sprott Inc. increased its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 3.0% in the 4th quarter. Sprott Inc. now owns 1,695 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $418,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,086 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $268,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position 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 valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake in Eagle Materials by 1.5% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 3,872 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,114,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company's stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Eagle Materials news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.36 per share, for a total transaction of $79,781.60. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 3,655 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $940,650.80. This trade represents a 9.27 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Eagle Materials Stock Down 2.1 %

NYSE EXP traded down $4.82 on Thursday, reaching $224.03. The company had a trading volume of 63,874 shares, compared to its average volume of 307,405. The company has a quick ratio of 1.01, a current ratio of 2.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company's fifty day moving average is $237.73 and its 200 day moving average is $265.73. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 52-week low of $205.44 and a 52-week high of $321.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.00 and a beta of 1.37.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last posted 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%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Eagle Materials's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on EXP shares. Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $310.00 price target on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. DA Davidson decreased their target price on Eagle Materials from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $310.00 in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Eagle Materials in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $242.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $286.40.

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.