Aviva PLC Purchases 1,227 Shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP)

Aviva PLC raised its holdings in Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Free Report) by 139.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,105 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 1,227 shares during the period. Aviva PLC's holdings in Eagle Materials were worth $519,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Private Trust Co. NA increased its position in Eagle Materials by 53.0% during the 4th quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 205 shares of the construction company's stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 154.8% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 237 shares of the construction company's stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 144 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Eagle Materials in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $81,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Eagle Materials by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the construction company's stock worth $140,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Eagle Materials by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 676 shares of the construction company's stock worth $167,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company's stock.

Eagle Materials Stock Performance

NYSE EXP traded up $0.86 during trading on Thursday, hitting $217.33. 89,064 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 331,504. The business has a 50 day moving average of $225.42 and a 200-day moving average of $259.49. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.61 and a 12-month high of $321.93. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $7.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.53 and a beta of 1.25.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates 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 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 was paid on Monday, April 14th. Investors of record on Monday, March 17th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.46%. Eagle Materials's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.14%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Eagle Materials news, Director Michael R. Nicolais bought 310 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $257.36 per share, for a total transaction of $79,781.60. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on EXP shares. DA Davidson cut their target price on Eagle Materials from $265.00 to $260.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Eagle Materials in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $242.00 target price on the stock. Stephens reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $310.00 price objective on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on Eagle Materials from $280.00 to $245.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $334.00 to $280.00 in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $279.40.

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.