James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Stock Rating Upgraded by Stephens

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) was upgraded by analysts at Stephens to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research cut James Hardie Industries from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. Barclays dropped their price target on James Hardie Industries from $22.00 to $21.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $26.56.

James Hardie Industries Stock Performance

James Hardie Industries stock opened at $26.67 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The firm has a market cap of $15.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 121.22 and a beta of 1.80. James Hardie Industries has a 1-year low of $16.46 and a 1-year high of $29.83. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $22.31 and a 200-day moving average of $21.99.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 20th. The construction company reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.01. James Hardie Industries had a return on equity of 11.13% and a net margin of 2.15%.The business had revenue of $1.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.41 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.36 EPS. James Hardie Industries’s quarterly revenue was up 44.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that James Hardie Industries will post 1.24 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of James Hardie Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in James Hardie Industries by 14.7% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,890 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $130,000 after acquiring an additional 884 shares in the last quarter. Xponance LLC grew its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Xponance LLC now owns 16,879 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $350,000 after acquiring an additional 911 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position 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 worth $139,000 after acquiring an additional 936 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 67.1% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 2,576 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $67,000 after acquiring an additional 1,034 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 46.5% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,532 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $86,000 after purchasing an additional 1,439 shares during the period. 7.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.