James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

James Hardie Industries PLC. (NYSE:JHX) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the sixteen ratings firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $26.7056.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on JHX shares. Raymond James Financial set a $21.00 target price on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Barclays lifted their price target on James Hardie Industries from $21.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised James Hardie Industries from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Vertical Research upgraded James Hardie Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $21.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 19th. Finally, Zacks Research lowered James Hardie Industries from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 17th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. New York State Common Retirement Fund purchased a new stake in shares of James Hardie Industries during the third quarter worth about $1,115,000. Phoenix Financial Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries during the 3rd quarter worth about $105,839,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its stake in James Hardie Industries by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 13,600,870 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $261,273,000 after buying an additional 882,795 shares in the last quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS purchased a new position in James Hardie Industries in the 3rd quarter valued at about $9,577,000. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,184,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 7.96% of the company’s stock.

James Hardie Industries Stock Performance

JHX opened at $21.17 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $23.44 and a 200 day moving average price of $21.15. James Hardie Industries has a 1 year low of $16.46 and a 1 year high of $32.69. The stock has a market cap of $9.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 78.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.72 and a beta of 1.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 0.95.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The construction company reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.23 by $0.01. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 2.70% and a return on equity of 13.52%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.36 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that James Hardie Industries will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current year.

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.