James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Upgraded at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a report released on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on JHX. CLSA raised shares of James Hardie Industries to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Raymond James Financial set a $21.00 price target on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of 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 target price for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded James Hardie Industries from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $25.93.

James Hardie Industries Stock Up 2.8%

NYSE JHX opened at $23.87 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.79, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market cap of $10.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.72, a PEG ratio of 7.47 and a beta of 1.80. The company has a 50 day moving average of $20.46 and a 200-day moving average of $21.89. James Hardie Industries has a 1-year low of $16.46 and a 1-year high of $34.90.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 70.4% in the second quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,101 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the last quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 8,029 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $151,000 after buying an additional 525 shares during the period. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 19,203 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $516,000 after buying an additional 540 shares during the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust raised its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 7.1% during the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 10,645 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $204,000 after acquiring an additional 703 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 10.3% in the first quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 10,694 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $252,000 after acquiring an additional 999 shares during the period. 7.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About James Hardie Industries

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.