James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Shares Gap Up on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX)’s share price gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock had previously closed at $24.38, but opened at $26.59. James Hardie Industries shares last traded at $26.3850, with a volume of 2,383,393 shares.

The construction company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.01. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 18.40%. The firm had revenue of $1.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.36 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 30.1% on a year-over-year basis.

Key Stories Impacting James Hardie Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded JHX from Neutral to Overweight, which can attract fund flows and short-term buying interest. Finviz
• Positive Sentiment: Q3 FY26 results beat expectations: EPS $0.24 vs. $0.23 estimate and revenue $1.24B vs. $1.21B; management raised guidance and the market reacted positively. This underpins the rally and suggests continued top-line momentum. Investing.com
• Positive Sentiment: Acquisition impact: James Hardie said Q3 sales rose ~30%, driven by the AZEK acquisition — a material revenue tailwind that helps growth expectations. MSN: AZEK acquisition
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call transcript and company materials are available for detail — investors should review management’s commentary on margins, integration plans and outlook. Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filed the formal Q3 FY26 press release and slide deck — useful for model updates and guidance detail. Business Wire
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability remains an issue: EPS is down year-over-year (from $0.36 to $0.24) and net margin was reported at ~4.7%, indicating integration or cost pressures despite higher revenue — a risk for margin-sensitive investors. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and volatility: JHX trades at a high P/E (~55) and elevated beta (~1.8), which raises downside risk if growth or margin improvements disappoint. Company data

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on JHX. Oppenheimer upped their price target on James Hardie Industries from $28.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on James Hardie Industries from $28.00 to $26.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Raymond James Financial set a $21.00 price target on James Hardie Industries in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Vertical Research upgraded shares of James Hardie Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price target on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $30.00 price objective on shares of James Hardie Industries in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $26.15.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 17.0% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 50,801 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,197,000 after purchasing an additional 7,396 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 160.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,697,663 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $63,557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,662,743 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC grew its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 222.4% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 279,009 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,573,000 after buying an additional 192,478 shares during the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in James Hardie Industries by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,777 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $397,000 after buying an additional 2,415 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in James Hardie Industries by 537.1% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 9,009 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 7,595 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 7.96% of the company’s stock.

James Hardie Industries Stock Up 9.0%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.79 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $21.51. The firm has a market cap of $11.42 billion, a PE ratio of 55.33, a PEG ratio of 7.52 and a beta of 1.80.

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.