Insider Selling: Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO) VP Sells 1,280 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Exponent VP Richard Reiss sold 1,280 shares at an average price of $86.44, worth about $110,643, reducing his direct holdings by 55.94% to 1,008 shares.
• Exponent beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.64 versus $0.60 forecast and revenue of $173.73 million versus $149.64 million expected; revenue rose 11.7% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.31 per share, equivalent to a 1.4% annualized yield. Analysts’ average rating was “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $91.

Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO - Get Free Report) VP Richard Reiss sold 1,280 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.44, for a total value of $110,643.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 1,008 shares in the company, valued at $87,131.52. This trade represents a 55.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Exponent Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of EXPO traded up $1.24 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $87.21. 150,676 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 520,622. Exponent, Inc. has a 1-year low of $51.91 and a 1-year high of $88.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $70.82 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.77. The company has a market cap of $4.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.59 and a beta of 0.66.

Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The business services provider reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $173.73 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $149.64 million. Exponent had a return on equity of 34.61% and a net margin of 17.40%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.55 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Exponent, Inc. will post 2.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Exponent Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 4th will be given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, December 4th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Exponent's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.45%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exponent

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Hohimer Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Exponent during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $221,000. Summit Creek Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Exponent in the third quarter worth $2,520,000. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC acquired a new position in Exponent in the third quarter worth $226,000. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in Exponent by 10.3% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,050 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridge City Capital LLC increased its stake in Exponent by 21.6% during the third quarter. Bridge City Capital LLC now owns 49,231 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $3,221,000 after purchasing an additional 8,729 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.37% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on EXPO shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Exponent from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Zacks Research raised shares of Exponent from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Exponent from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, October 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Exponent from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, October 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Exponent presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $91.00.

About Exponent

Exponent, Inc is a science and engineering consulting company that helps clients investigate complex technical issues, manage risks, and develop solutions. Its consultants work across disciplines including engineering, materials science, biomechanics, human factors, environmental science, health, data sciences, and economics.

The company provides failure analysis, product safety and testing, accident reconstruction, environmental and health assessments, regulatory support, and expert testimony.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.