Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPO) had a large decline in short interest in November. As of November 15th, 1,260,000 shares were shorted, a 15.4% decrease from 1,490,000 shares on October 31st. Approximately 2.5% of the stock is being sold short. The average number of shares traded daily is 182,000, and the days-to-cover ratio is 6.9 days.
On October 27th, Exponent (NASDAQ: EXPO) released its most recent earnings report. The business services provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, $0.05 higher than the $0.42 consensus expectation. For the quarter, the firm generated $115.14 million in revenue, compared to analysts’ expectations of $114 million. The Exponent had a return on equity of 27.40% and a net margin of 20.06%. Analysts predict that Exponent will report 1.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.
A quarterly dividend that will be paid on Friday, December 23rd, was also just announced by the corporation. On Friday, December 9th, Shareholders of record will be paid an annual dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 8th. A dividend yield of 0.93% produces an annual payout of $0.96. Exponent currently has a 50.53% dividend payout percentage.
EXPO shares climbed by $0.81 on Friday during market hours to reach $103.74. One hundred thirty-six thousand fifty-one shares of the company were moved, compared to the 128,498 shares traded daily for the company. The firm has a $5.25 billion market cap, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.60, and a beta value of 0.63. Exponent’s 52-week low and high are $80.97 and $126.31, respectively. The company’s fifty-day moving average is $94.83, and its 200-day moving average is $93.45.
In other Exponent news, VP Bradley A. James signed a deal on Friday, November 4th, selling 575 shares. The stock was sold at an average price of $96.21 for a total profit of $55,320.75. The vice president now directly controls 6,186 business shares with a market value of around $595,155.06 due to the sale. You can access the SEC legal filing where the sale was reported by clicking this link. Insiders own 2.00% of the company’s stock.
The opinions of numerous institutional investors and hedge funds have changed. The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System boosted its stake in Exponent by 0.5% during the second quarter. The Maryland State Retirement and Pension System now owns 20,999 shares of the business services provider, valued at $1,921,000, after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its ownership of Exponent by 6.7% during the second quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,541 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at $159,000, after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the most recent quarter. Lindenwold Advisors grew its stake in Exponent by 3.0% during the third quarter. Following the completion of the most recent quarter, Lindenwold Advisors now directly owns 3,741 shares in the supplier of business services, valued at $328,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares. Mackenzie Financial Corp. boosted its stake in Exponent by 4.4% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 2,942 shares of the business services provider’s stock, valued at $318,000, after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the most recent quarter. Not to mention, Inspire Investing LLC grew its Exponent holding by 6.1% during the second quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 2,331 shares, valued at $213,000,000, after acquiring 135 more in the last quarter. Institutions now hold 90.41% of the shares.
