Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO) shares reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The company traded as low as $61.43 and last traded at $61.9710, with a volume of 20747 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $63.44.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on EXPO shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Exponent in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of Exponent from $85.00 to $75.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on shares of Exponent from $100.00 to $95.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $85.00.

Exponent Stock Performance

The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $67.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $70.27. The company has a market capitalization of $2.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.52 and a beta of 0.78.

Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The business services provider reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.03. Exponent had a net margin of 18.07% and a return on equity of 27.94%. The company had revenue of $166.30 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $149.53 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.52 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that Exponent, Inc. will post 2.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exponent Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 18th. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.31 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Exponent’s dividend payout ratio is currently 57.67%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Exponent

In other Exponent news, CEO Catherine Corrigan sold 3,920 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.15, for a total transaction of $263,228.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 93,731 shares in the company, valued at $6,294,036.65. This trade represents a 4.01% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP John Pye sold 4,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.97, for a total transaction of $303,880.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 25,204 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,914,747.88. This trade represents a 13.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,741 shares of company stock worth $1,095,768. 1.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exponent

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Exponent by 423.6% in the first quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 377 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 305 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Exponent by 97.0% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 396 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Exponent during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of Exponent by 86.1% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 469 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 217 shares during the period. Finally, Winnow Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Exponent during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. 92.37% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Exponent

Exponent, Inc (NASDAQ: EXPO) is an engineering and scientific consulting firm that offers multidisciplinary analysis and advisory services to clients across a range of industries. The company’s expertise spans mechanical, materials and corrosion engineering, civil and structural engineering, electrical engineering, industrial hygiene, toxicology and health sciences, and failure analysis. Exponent provides support for product design, performance evaluation, litigation consulting, and regulatory compliance, helping manufacturers, insurers, law firms and government agencies address complex technical challenges.

Founded in 1967 in Menlo Park, California, Exponent has grown from a small failure-analysis laboratory into a global consulting practice.