James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) Stock Rating Upgraded by 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 note issued to investors on Wednesday.

A number of other research analysts have also recently issued reports on JHX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of James Hardie Industries from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 21st. Macquarie raised shares of James Hardie Industries from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 21st.

James Hardie Industries Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NYSE JHX traded up $0.65 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $34.32. 51,536 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 64,123. The company has a quick ratio of 1.37, a current ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $14.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.61, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.71. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $33.11 and its 200-day simple moving average is $35.49. James Hardie Industries has a one year low of $24.28 and a one year high of $41.98.

James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 13th. The construction company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.03. James Hardie Industries had a net margin of 12.96% and a return on equity of 38.97%. The company had revenue of $991.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.01 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.39 earnings per share. James Hardie Industries's revenue was up 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that James Hardie Industries will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On James Hardie Industries

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Atlas Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of James Hardie Industries in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new stake in shares of James Hardie Industries in the fourth quarter valued at $33,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in James Hardie Industries by 55.7% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,045 shares of the construction company's stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 374 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. increased its stake in 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 worth $47,000 after buying an additional 1,012 shares during the period. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new position in James Hardie Industries in the first quarter valued at $71,000. 7.96% of the stock is currently 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.