Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO) to Issue Dividend Increase – $0.31 Per Share

Exponent, Inc. (NASDAQ:EXPO) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 5th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be paid a dividend of 0.31 per share by the business services provider on Friday, March 20th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 6th. This is a 3.3% increase from Exponent’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.30.

Exponent has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 12 years. Exponent has a payout ratio of 56.1% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Exponent to earn $2.17 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.20 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 55.3%.

Exponent Trading Up 9.1%

Shares of EXPO opened at $77.26 on Friday. Exponent has a 12-month low of $63.81 and a 12-month high of $97.57. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $72.85 and its 200-day simple moving average is $70.93. The firm has a market cap of $3.85 billion, a PE ratio of 37.82 and a beta of 0.79.

Exponent (NASDAQ:EXPO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 5th. The business services provider reported $0.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $147.43 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $128.48 million. Exponent had a return on equity of 24.77% and a net margin of 18.35%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.46 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Exponent will post 1.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Exponent

In other news, CEO Catherine Corrigan sold 1,663 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.52, for a total value of $120,600.76. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 92,723 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,724,271.96. This trade represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 9,788 shares of company stock worth $693,648 over the last 90 days. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Exponent

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of EXPO. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Exponent by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 8,660 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the period. GSA Capital Partners LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Exponent by 4.0% during the fourth quarter. GSA Capital Partners LLP now owns 17,535 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $1,218,000 after acquiring an additional 675 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its position in shares of Exponent by 87,479.8% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 230,335 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $15,999,000 after acquiring an additional 230,072 shares during the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Exponent in the 4th quarter worth about $235,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP lifted its position in Exponent by 86.1% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 469 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.37% of the company’s stock.

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.