James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) Sees Large Growth in Short Interest

James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 81,200 shares, an increase of 165.4% from the January 15th total of 30,600 shares. Currently, 0.0% of the company's shares are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 94,300 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.9 days.

James Hardie Industries Trading Down 0.5 %

JHX stock traded down $0.17 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $32.44. 54,196 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 109,634. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $32.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $34.52. The company has a market capitalization of $13.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.11, a PEG ratio of 4.92 and a beta of 1.81. James Hardie Industries has a fifty-two week low of $29.88 and a fifty-two week high of $43.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.50.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 net margin of 11.16% and a return on equity of 35.93%. The firm had revenue of $960.80 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $973.49 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.41 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 3.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that James Hardie Industries will post 1.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JHX has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised James Hardie Industries from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of James Hardie Industries in a report on Thursday, January 30th. 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. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of James Hardie Industries from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in 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 worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 2.6% in the third quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 12,494 shares of the construction company's stock worth $502,000 after acquiring an additional 318 shares during the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 4.4% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 8,551 shares of the construction company's stock worth $315,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 52,416 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,615,000 after acquiring an additional 420 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in James Hardie Industries by 46.3% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,365 shares of the construction company's stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 432 shares during the last quarter. 7.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About James Hardie Industries

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.