James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Upgraded at StockNews.com

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of James Hardie Industries from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th.

James Hardie Industries Stock Down 1.5 %

NYSE:JHX traded down $0.55 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $35.40. 40,905 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 74,884. James Hardie Industries has a one year low of $29.88 and a one year high of $43.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. The company has a market cap of $15.20 billion, a PE ratio of 35.05, a PEG ratio of 4.57 and a beta of 1.76. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $35.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $34.42.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The construction company reported $0.36 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.01. James Hardie Industries had a return on equity of 35.93% and a net margin of 11.16%. The firm had revenue of $960.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $973.49 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.41 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that James Hardie Industries will post 1.47 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of James Hardie Industries during the 3rd quarter worth $2,369,000. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 83.9% in the 3rd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 51,996 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,088,000 after acquiring an additional 23,723 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of James Hardie Industries during the second quarter valued at approximately $12,162,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 55.7% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,045 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 374 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its stake in James Hardie Industries by 155.9% in the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 4,475 shares of the construction company's stock worth $141,000 after purchasing an additional 2,726 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.96% of the company's stock.

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.