Eagle Materials Inc (NYSE:EXP) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is largely neutral: Ten brokerages give Eagle Materials an average “Hold” rating, with nine holds and one buy. The average 12-month price target is approximately $222.56, above the reported share price of $208.35.
• Quarterly results were mixed: Eagle Materials reported adjusted EPS of $3.29, below the $3.37 consensus estimate, while revenue of $650.97 million exceeded expectations and increased 2.6% year over year.
• Institutional ownership remains high: Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company. Eagle Materials also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, representing a 0.5% annualized yield.

Eagle Materials Inc (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) has been assigned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the ten research firms that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $222.5556.

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Eagle Materials from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Eagle Materials from $240.00 to $231.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Eagle Materials from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "hold" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of Eagle Materials in a research report on Wednesday, May 20th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Eagle Materials from $240.00 to $232.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, August 10th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Eagle Materials

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Eagle Materials by 266.7% in the 4th quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 132 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Eagle Materials by 389.3% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 137 shares of the construction company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 109 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Eagle Materials in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Eagle Materials in the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eagle Materials by 102.4% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 172 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 87 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.07% of the company's stock.

Eagle Materials Trading Down 0.2%

Shares of EXP opened at $208.35 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 3.23, a quick ratio of 1.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. Eagle Materials has a 12-month low of $171.99 and a 12-month high of $245.53. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $214.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $209.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.47 and a beta of 1.38.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $3.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.37 by ($0.08). Eagle Materials had a return on equity of 26.87% and a net margin of 17.32%.The firm had revenue of $650.97 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $620.35 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.76 earnings per share. Eagle Materials's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Eagle Materials will post 12.66 EPS for the current year.

Eagle Materials Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, September 14th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Eagle Materials's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 7.91%.

Eagle Materials Company Profile

Eagle Materials Inc NYSE: EXP is a Dallas, Texas–based manufacturer of building materials serving construction and heavy industry markets across the United States. The company's primary products include portland and masonry cements, gypsum wallboard, lightweight aggregate, paperboard packaging, and roofing granules. These product lines support a wide range of end uses—from residential and commercial buildings to infrastructure projects and industrial applications.

Since its spin-off from a major homebuilding company in 2004, Eagle Materials has grown through targeted facility expansions and strategic acquisitions.

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