James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) Short Interest Update

James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 49,800 shares, a drop of 38.7% from the January 31st total of 81,200 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 90,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days.

James Hardie Industries Price Performance

NYSE:JHX traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $31.15. The stock had a trading volume of 90,321 shares, compared to its average volume of 91,157. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $32.40 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.84, a P/E/G ratio of 6.16 and a beta of 1.81. James Hardie Industries has a one year low of $29.88 and a one year high of $43.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 2.18.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 18th. The construction company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $953.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $967.63 million. James Hardie Industries had a return on equity of 33.65% and a net margin of 11.15%. As a group, analysts expect that James Hardie Industries will post 1.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have weighed in on JHX. Truist Financial began coverage on James Hardie Industries in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of James Hardie Industries in a research report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded James Hardie Industries from a “neutral” rating to an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded James Hardie Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, James Hardie Industries currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Versant Capital Management Inc purchased a new position in James Hardie Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in James Hardie Industries in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. TD Private Client Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of James Hardie Industries by 45.3% during the fourth quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 972 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 303 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank purchased a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries during the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Aquatic Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $55,000. 7.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

James Hardie Industries Company Profile

James Hardie Industries plc manufactures and sells fiber cement, fiber gypsum, and cement bonded building products for interior and exterior building construction applications primarily in the United States, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, and the Philippines. The company operates through North America Fiber Cement, Asia Pacific Fiber Cement, and Europe Building Products segments.