Short Interest in Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) Rises By 34.5%

Key Points

• Short interest in Armstrong World Industries rose by 34.5% in August, totaling 777,500 shares, indicating increased bearish sentiment among investors.
• Institutional investors own approximately 98.93% of Armstrong World Industries stock, highlighting strong institutional support.
• Analysts have set a consensus target price of $177.13 for Armstrong World Industries, with ratings ranging from "buy" to "hold" across multiple firms.

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totaling 777,500 shares, anincreaseof34.5% from the July 31st total of 577,900 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 338,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days. Approximately1.8% of the company's shares are sold short. Approximately1.8% of the company's shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 338,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.3 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Armstrong World Industries

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries during the second quarter worth $32,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 100.0% during the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the construction company's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Armstrong World Industries in the second quarter valued at $46,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in Armstrong World Industries by 652.3% in the first quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 331 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 287 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MAI Capital Management bought a new position in Armstrong World Industries in the second quarter valued at $47,000. 98.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AWI has been the subject of several analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a research note on Tuesday, June 24th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $162.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 15th. Loop Capital set a $190.00 target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 30th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and set a $178.00 price objective (up previously from $158.00) on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Armstrong World Industries currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $177.13.

Armstrong World Industries Price Performance

NYSE AWI traded down $1.41 on Monday, reaching $197.02. The company's stock had a trading volume of 634,392 shares, compared to its average volume of 341,317. The firm has a market cap of $8.52 billion, a PE ratio of 29.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.46. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $182.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $159.61. Armstrong World Industries has a 52 week low of $118.14 and a 52 week high of $199.73. The company has a current ratio of 1.61, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.34. The business had revenue of $424.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $404.05 million. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 18.95% and a return on equity of 39.80%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.62 earnings per share. Armstrong World Industries has set its FY 2025 guidance at 7.150-7.300 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Armstrong World Industries will post 6.18 EPS for the current year.

Armstrong World Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 7th were issued a $0.308 dividend. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 7th. Armstrong World Industries's dividend payout ratio is currently 18.20%.

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.

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