Oppenheimer Reaffirms "Outperform" Rating for James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX)

Key Points

• Oppenheimer reaffirmed its “Outperform” rating on James Hardie Industries and set a $36 price target, implying 31.48% upside from the prior close. The stock has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average analyst target of $32.78.
• James Hardie reported quarterly EPS of $0.36, beating estimates of $0.32, while revenue reached $1.47 billion versus expectations of $1.42 billion. Revenue increased 63.9% year over year.
• Shares traded at $27.38, with a market capitalization of approximately $15.89 billion and a 12-month range of $16.46 to $31.43. Institutional investors own 7.96% of the company, with several funds adding or initiating positions recently.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "outperform" rating restated by research analysts at Oppenheimer in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $36.00 target price on the construction company's stock. Oppenheimer's target price would indicate a potential upside of 31.48% from the stock's previous close.

JHX has been the topic of several other reports. Barclays raised shares of James Hardie Industries from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $26.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of James Hardie Industries from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of James Hardie Industries from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Robert W. Baird set a $34.00 target price on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $35.00 price target on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $32.78.

James Hardie Industries Price Performance

Shares of JHX traded up $0.32 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $27.38. The stock had a trading volume of 7,694,996 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,140,993. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. The company has a market capitalization of $15.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 109.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.77. The company's 50-day moving average is $28.15 and its 200 day moving average is $24.06. James Hardie Industries has a 12-month low of $16.46 and a 12-month high of $31.43.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The construction company reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.32 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.47 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.42 billion. James Hardie Industries had a return on equity of 10.56% and a net margin of 2.69%.James Hardie Industries's revenue for the quarter was up 63.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.29 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that James Hardie Industries will post 1.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in JHX. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in James Hardie Industries during the 2nd quarter valued at $196,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the 2nd quarter worth $248,000. Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries in the second quarter valued at about $1,183,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP increased its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 153.8% in the second quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 739,441 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $19,359,000 after acquiring an additional 448,047 shares during the period. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries during the second quarter valued at about $47,651,000. Institutional investors own 7.96% of the company's stock.

James Hardie Industries News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting James Hardie Industries this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Higher free-cash-flow target: James Hardie reaffirmed its fiscal 2027 sales outlook and raised its free-cash-flow target, strengthening the company’s cash-generation story and potentially supporting future investment, debt reduction or shareholder returns. James Hardie Reaffirms Fiscal 2027 Sales Outlook, Raises Free Cash Flow Target
• Positive Sentiment: Operating outlook maintained: Management confirmed its second-quarter and full-year fiscal 2027 sales and adjusted EBITDA outlook, while outlining long-term growth plans at its Investor Day. The reaffirmation reduces concerns about an earnings reset and suggests current business trends remain on track. James Hardie Hosts 2026 Investor Day, Outlines Path to Long-term Value Creation
• Positive Sentiment: Portfolio focus: The company’s strategy emphasizes concentrating capital on higher-priority growth opportunities, following the planned sale of its European fibre gypsum and cement-bonded products business for €840 million. Exiting Europe could simplify the portfolio and improve capital allocation, although execution remains important. James Hardie lifts guidance and details long-term growth at 2026 Investor Day
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor positioning is mixed: Institutional activity was broadly balanced, with 181 investors adding shares and 182 reducing positions in the latest quarter. Millennium-linked investors also disclosed a substantial holding, indicating continued institutional interest but not a clear consensus. James Hardie Receives Substantial Holding Notice From Millennium-Linked Investors
• Negative Sentiment: Profit-taking and limited near-term upside: The shares recently reached a 52-week high, and investors may have viewed the Investor Day as lacking a sufficiently large new earnings catalyst beyond previously announced guidance improvements. This helps explain the recent pullback despite the constructive long-term message. James Hardie Industries Slides as Investors Reassess Near-Term Catalysts
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Reported insider activity showed seven open-market sales and no purchases over the past six months, including sales by senior executives. While not necessarily a fundamental signal, the pattern may weigh on sentiment. James Hardie Industries Slides as Investors Reassess Near-Term Catalysts

James Hardie Industries Company Profile

James Hardie Industries plc is a building materials company specializing in fiber cement and fiber gypsum products. Its products are used in residential and commercial construction, remodeling and repair applications, including exterior siding, trim, soffits, weatherboard, roofing components and interior wall systems.

The company markets products under brands that include Hardie and Fermacell. Its fiber cement materials are designed to provide durability and resistance to fire, moisture, pests and weather, serving applications where alternatives such as wood, vinyl or traditional gypsum may be used.

Founded in Australia in 1888, James Hardie has developed into an international manufacturer and supplier serving customers across North America, Australia and New Zealand, Europe and other markets.

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