James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Cut to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research lowered shares of James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $25.00 price target on the stock. Raymond James Financial set a $21.00 target price on James Hardie Industries in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target 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. Vertical Research upgraded James Hardie Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Barclays initiated coverage on James Hardie Industries in a report on Monday, December 8th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $21.00 price objective on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $25.93.

James Hardie Industries Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE JHX opened at $20.51 on Wednesday. James Hardie Industries has a 12 month low of $16.46 and a 12 month high of $34.96. The company has a market cap of $8.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.74, a P/E/G ratio of 7.64 and a beta of 1.80. The business’s 50 day moving average is $19.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.60. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 17th. The construction company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.25 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.30 billion. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 4.67% and a return on equity of 18.40%. James Hardie Industries’s quarterly revenue was up 34.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.36 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that James Hardie Industries will post 1.39 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of James Hardie Industries

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of JHX. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its stake in James Hardie Industries by 70.4% during the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of James Hardie Industries by 641.2% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,223 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,058 shares during the last quarter. MAI Capital Management increased its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 4,266.7% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 1,310 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,280 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 11,238.5% during the 2nd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,474 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,461 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new position in James Hardie Industries in the second quarter valued at about $52,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.96% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting James Hardie Industries

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bullish analyst piece initiating coverage at BUY, arguing JHX’s revenue mix and AZEK acquisition provide resilience beyond the housing cycle — this supports upside case and gives investors a catalyst for a re‑rating. Remodelling The Narrative: JHX Beyond The Housing Cycle
• Neutral Sentiment: Several non‑executive directors have increased equity holdings via board incentive/equity plans — a sign of board alignment but largely routine (grants vs. open‑market buys), so impact on near‑term price is unclear. Director Equity Updates
• Negative Sentiment: A large cluster of plaintiff firms (Rosen, Kahn Swick & Foti, Glancy Prongay & Murray, Bronstein Gewirtz, Hagens Berman, Levi & Korsinsky, Robbins Geller, Berger Montague, BFA Law, etc.) have filed/announced investigation notices alleging securities fraud and are soliciting lead‑plaintiff applications — the litigation centers on alleged misleading statements about “normal/robust” inventory levels while channel destocking occurred, and the December 23, 2025 lead‑plaintiff deadline is imminent. This litigation risk is a clear near‑term negative for sentiment and could pressure the stock if claims proceed. Hagens Berman Lawsuit Notice
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks downgraded JHX from “strong‑buy” to “hold” — a negative analyst signal that may weigh on momentum and investor conviction in the near term. Zacks Research

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.