Quantbot Technologies LP Makes New $1.79 Million Investment in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,242 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,787,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of EXP. Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 53.0% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 205 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Eagle Materials in the 4th quarter valued at about $81,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 10.9% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $140,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position 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 buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Venturi Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $170,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have commented on EXP shares. Citigroup cut Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and cut their target price for the company from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Stephens restated an “overweight” rating and set a $310.00 target price on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Loop Capital downgraded shares of Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $315.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, November 25th. Jefferies Financial Group cut shares of Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and cut their price target for the stock from $330.00 to $310.00 in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Eagle Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $242.00 price objective for the company. Eight research 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, Eagle Materials presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $286.40.

Insider Activity at Eagle Materials

In other news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $257.36 per share, with a total value 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 1.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Eagle Materials Stock Performance

EXP opened at $228.11 on Tuesday. 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 12-month low of $205.44 and a 12-month high of $321.93. The business has a 50 day moving average of $238.45 and a 200-day moving average of $266.08. The stock has a market cap of $7.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.29 and a beta of 1.37.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) last announced its quarterly 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 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 earnings per share for the current year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.44%. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.14%.

Eagle Materials 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.