Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) Shares Sold by Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.

Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lowered its stake in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) by 1.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,597 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 106 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Eagle Materials were worth $2,064,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in EXP. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Eagle Materials by 79.2% in the first quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 95 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Tompkins Financial Corp acquired a new stake in shares of Eagle Materials during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Global Wealth Management Investment Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Eagle Materials during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.07% of the company’s stock.

Eagle Materials Stock Performance

Eagle Materials stock traded down $7.02 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $233.05. 114,729 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 309,692. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $229.09 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $239.79. Eagle Materials Inc. has a twelve month low of $145.03 and a twelve month high of $276.61. The firm has a market cap of $7.89 billion, a PE ratio of 17.40 and a beta of 1.32. 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 (NYSE:EXP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The construction company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.72 by ($0.48). Eagle Materials had a net margin of 21.14% and a return on equity of 37.31%. The firm had revenue of $476.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $480.20 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.79 EPS. Eagle Materials’s revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 15.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 17th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 17th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.43%. Eagle Materials’s payout ratio is currently 7.34%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on EXP shares. StockNews.com cut shares of Eagle Materials from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 29th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on Eagle Materials from $270.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Stephens boosted their target price on Eagle Materials from $250.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Raymond James downgraded Eagle Materials from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their price objective on Eagle Materials from $310.00 to $305.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $281.00.

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.