Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP) Shares Sold by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP lowered its stake in shares of Eagle Materials Inc. (NYSE:EXP - Free Report) by 62.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 63,507 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 103,678 shares during the quarter. Marshall Wace LLP owned approximately 0.19% of Eagle Materials worth $15,671,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of EXP. Private Trust Co. NA grew its position in shares of Eagle Materials by 53.0% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 205 shares of the construction company's stock worth $51,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake 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 buying an additional 144 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Eagle Materials during the fourth quarter worth about $81,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in Eagle Materials by 10.9% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Eagle Materials by 10.6% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 676 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $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.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Michael R. Nicolais acquired 310 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $257.36 per share, for a total transaction of $79,781.60. Following the acquisition, 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 position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the company's stock.

Eagle Materials Trading Down 1.2 %

NYSE EXP traded down $2.58 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $218.71. 233,705 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 332,453. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $7.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.62 and a beta of 1.25. The business's 50 day moving average is $220.45 and its 200-day moving average is $256.18. Eagle Materials Inc. has a 12-month low of $201.61 and a 12-month high of $321.93.

Eagle Materials (NYSE:EXP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.97 by ($0.38). Eagle Materials had a return on equity of 34.14% and a net margin of 20.91%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Eagle Materials Inc. will post 14.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Eagle Materials Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 14th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 17th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. Eagle Materials's payout ratio is 7.14%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on EXP shares. Truist Financial dropped their target price on Eagle Materials from $330.00 to $280.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Eagle Materials in a research report on Tuesday, March 4th. They set a "hold" rating and a $242.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup cut shares of Eagle Materials from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and cut their price target for the stock from $334.00 to $280.00 in a report on Monday, January 6th. Loop Capital dropped their price objective on Eagle Materials from $280.00 to $245.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 1st. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $310.00 price target on shares of Eagle Materials in a research note on Thursday, January 30th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $274.40.

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.