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

James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 353,800 shares, a growth of 654.4% from the September 15th total of 46,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 95,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.7 days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded James Hardie Industries from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 10th.

James Hardie Industries Stock Down 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE JHX traded down $0.68 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $35.85. 28,585 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 71,474. The stock has a market cap of $15.55 billion, a PE ratio of 30.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.32 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 1.44 and a current ratio of 1.94. The company's fifty day moving average is $36.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $35.04. James Hardie Industries has a fifty-two week low of $24.28 and a fifty-two week high of $43.57.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The construction company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.38 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $991.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 12.78% and a return on equity of 38.01%. James Hardie Industries's revenue for the quarter was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.39 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that James Hardie Industries will post 1.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the first quarter valued at $30,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 55.7% during 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 period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its position in shares of James Hardie Industries by 693.2% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,158 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 1,012 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in James Hardie Industries by 38.8% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,219 shares of the construction company's stock worth $49,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in James Hardie Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $66,000. 7.96% of the stock is owned by 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.