James Hardie Industries PLC. $JHX Shares Sold by Walleye Capital LLC

Key Points

• Walleye Capital LLC cut its stake in James Hardie Industries by 52.7% in the first quarter, selling 209,957 shares and ending with 188,554 shares valued at about $3.57 million.
• Other institutional investors were active in the stock, with several funds significantly increasing positions; overall, institutional holders own 7.96% of James Hardie Industries.
• Analysts are broadly constructive on JHX, with an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $27.00. Shares recently traded at $25.83, up 4.2%, after the company reported quarterly EPS of $0.30, slightly ahead of estimates.

Walleye Capital LLC cut its stake in James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX - Free Report) by 52.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 188,554 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 209,957 shares during the quarter. Walleye Capital LLC's holdings in James Hardie Industries were worth $3,571,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in JHX. Gilliland Jeter Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,038,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL raised its stake in James Hardie Industries by 2,088.7% during the 3rd quarter. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL now owns 350,760 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $6,738,000 after buying an additional 334,734 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 819.2% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 630,106 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $13,075,000 after buying an additional 561,556 shares during the period. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 25.1% during the 4th quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 2,003,166 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $41,566,000 after buying an additional 401,435 shares during the period. Finally, ING Groep NV purchased a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries in the 4th quarter worth $5,244,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.96% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research raised James Hardie Industries from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Stephens began coverage on James Hardie Industries in a report on Thursday, June 25th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $31.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on James Hardie Industries from $21.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, James Hardie Industries has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $27.00.

James Hardie Industries Stock Up 4.2%

Shares of JHX stock opened at $25.83 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. James Hardie Industries PLC. has a 12 month low of $16.46 and a 12 month high of $29.83. The stock has a market cap of $14.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 117.40 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.97 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $22.67.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The construction company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.01. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 2.15% and a return on equity of 11.13%. The business had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.36 EPS. The company's revenue was up 44.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that James Hardie Industries PLC. will post 1.24 earnings per share for the current year.

About James Hardie Industries

James Hardie Industries plc NYSE: JHX is a global manufacturer of high-performance fiber cement building products. The company specializes in exterior cladding, trim and soffit, as well as interior backerboard solutions designed for residential and commercial construction. By combining cement, sand and cellulose fibers, James Hardie produces durable, low-maintenance materials that resist moisture, fire and termite damage, catering to builders, contractors and homeowners through a network of distributors and retail channels.

The company's flagship products include Hardie® Plank® and Hardie® Panel® siding systems, Hardie® BackerBoard® for tile applications, and a range of architectural trim solutions.

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