Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) Shares Sold by Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd.

Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. lowered its position in shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) by 22.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 172,440 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 50,960 shares during the quarter. Eagle Materials comprises about 3.5% of Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd.’s portfolio, making the stock its 8th largest position. Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. owned about 0.50% of Eagle Materials worth $46,861,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EXP. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Eagle Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Tompkins Financial Corp purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Eagle Materials Stock Up 5.4 %

Shares of Eagle Materials stock traded up $12.55 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $245.70. 497,594 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 309,774. The firm has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a PE ratio of 18.04 and a beta of 1.32. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $232.59 and its 200 day moving average is $238.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 2.62. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 1 year low of $145.03 and a 1 year high of $276.61.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 21st. The construction company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.72 by ($0.48). The business had revenue of $476.70 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $480.20 million. Eagle Materials had a net margin of 21.14% and a return on equity of 37.31%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.79 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 15.99 earnings per share for the current year.

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 17th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 17th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.41%. Eagle Materials’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.34%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

EXP has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Raymond James lifted their price target on Eagle Materials from $230.00 to $250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 23rd. Citigroup lowered their target price on Eagle Materials from $297.00 to $252.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on Eagle Materials from $310.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Eagle Materials from $200.00 to $265.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lowered their target price on Eagle Materials from $300.00 to $286.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $280.75.

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.