Eagle Materials Inc. (EXP): Today's Featured Materials & Construction Laggard

Jul 23, 2013 5:01 PM EDT

Editor's Note: Any reference to TheStreet Ratings and its underlying recommendation does not reflect the opinion of TheStreet, Inc. or any of its contributors including Jim Cramer or Stephanie Link.

Eagle Materials ( EXP) pushed the Materials & Construction industry lower today making it today's featured Materials & Construction laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.3%. By the end of trading, Eagle Materials fell $0.73 (-1.1%) to $68.53 on light volume. Throughout the day, 525,617 shares of Eagle Materials exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of 962,300 shares. The stock ranged in price between $68.45-$69.55 after having opened the day at $69.53 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $69.26. Other companies within the Materials & Construction industry that declined today were: MagneGas Corporation ( MNGA), down 8.5%, India Globalization Capital ( IGC), down 6.2%, Perma-Fix Environmental Services ( PESI), down 4.4% and Goldfield ( GV), down 3.0%.

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Eagle Materials Inc. manufactures and distributes building products used in residential, industrial, commercial, and infrastructure construction in the United States. The company operates in four segments: Cement, Gypsum Wallboard, Recycled Paperboard, and Concrete and Aggregates. Eagle Materials has a market cap of $3.5 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector. Shares are up 18.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Monday. Currently there are 3 analysts that rate Eagle Materials a buy, no analysts rate it a sell, and 6 rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Eagle Materials as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its robust revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, solid stock price performance, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and notable return on equity. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

You can view the full Eagle Materials Ratings Report.

On the positive front, Guanwei Recycling ( GPRC), up 12.1%, China Recycling Energy Corporation ( CREG), up 6.8%, Meritage Homes Corporation ( MTH), up 4.9% and Vertex Energy ( VTNR), up 3.6% , were all gainers within the materials & construction industry with Masco Corporation ( MAS) being today's featured materials & construction industry leader.

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For investors not wanting singular stock exposure, ETFs may be of interest. Investors who are bullish on the materials & construction industry could consider SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF ( XHB) while those bearish on the materials & construction industry could consider ProShares Short Basic Materials Fd ( SBM).