James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Analysts

Key Points

• Wall Street sentiment is cautiously positive: James Hardie Industries has an average analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 14 research firms, with a consensus 1-year target price of about $26.56.
• Recent earnings topped expectations: The company reported $0.30 EPS versus the $0.29 estimate, while revenue reached $1.40 billion, up 44.5% from a year earlier.
• Stock and ownership activity remain active: JHX traded at $24.81 and is held by institutional investors and hedge funds, which own 7.96% of the stock after several funds increased their positions.

James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the fourteen research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $26.5556.

Several brokerages recently commented on JHX. Stephens started coverage on shares of James Hardie Industries in a report on Thursday, June 25th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $31.00 target price for the company. Zacks Research downgraded shares of James Hardie Industries from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. Finally, Barclays reduced their price objective on James Hardie Industries from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 21st.

Institutional Trading of James Hardie Industries

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JHX. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 14.7% during the first quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,890 shares of the construction company's stock worth $130,000 after buying an additional 884 shares during the last quarter. Xponance LLC lifted its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 16,879 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $350,000 after acquiring an additional 911 shares during the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 16.3% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 6,684 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $139,000 after acquiring an additional 936 shares during the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 67.1% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,576 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $67,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 46.5% during the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,532 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $86,000 after acquiring an additional 1,439 shares in the last quarter. 7.96% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

James Hardie Industries Stock Performance

JHX traded up $0.30 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $24.81. The company's stock had a trading volume of 5,243,052 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,884,765. The company's 50-day moving average is $23.07 and its 200-day moving average is $22.36. James Hardie Industries has a 52 week low of $16.46 and a 52 week high of $29.83. The firm has a market cap of $14.40 billion, a PE ratio of 112.79 and a beta of 1.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.58.

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

James Hardie Industries Company Profile

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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