Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Acquires Shares of 3,305 Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI)

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,305 shares of the construction company's stock, valued at approximately $467,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Principal Securities Inc. raised its stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 2,751 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $389,000 after acquiring an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA increased its holdings in Armstrong World Industries by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 6,184 shares of the construction company's stock worth $874,000 after purchasing an additional 456 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Armstrong World Industries by 11.4% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,591 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $209,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Armstrong World Industries by 639.8% in the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 7,228 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,022,000 after purchasing an additional 6,251 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 7.9% in the 4th quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 7,565 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,069,000 after buying an additional 555 shares during the period. 98.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Down 0.1%

AWI stock traded down $0.16 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $159.57. 228,289 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 276,082. The company has a market cap of $6.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.64. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a 1-year low of $110.68 and a 1-year high of $164.40. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $142.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $147.47.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 29th. The construction company reported $1.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.11. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 17.95% and a return on equity of 40.67%. The firm had revenue of $382.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $370.71 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.38 EPS. The company's revenue was up 17.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Armstrong World Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.308 per share. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.77%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 8th. Armstrong World Industries's payout ratio is 19.68%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on AWI shares. StockNews.com downgraded Armstrong World Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 6th. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $150.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $162.00 to $170.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Loop Capital lowered their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $163.00 to $158.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Armstrong World Industries from $163.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 28th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Armstrong World Industries currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $157.57.

About Armstrong World Industries

Armstrong World Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of ceiling and wall solutions in the Americas. It operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company offers mineral fiber, fiberglass wool, metal, wood, felt, wood fiber, and glass-reinforced-gypsum; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings, walls, and facades for use in commercial settings; and manufactures ceiling suspension system (grid) products.