Truist Securities maintains Buy rating on James Hardie stock after 30% drop

Published 27/08/2025, 15:02
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Investing.com - Truist Securities has reiterated a Buy rating and $25.00 price target on James Hardie Industries (NYSE:JHX) despite the stock’s 30% decline last week following earnings results. The $11.5 billion market cap company currently trades at $20.54, with InvestingPro analysis suggesting the stock is undervalued relative to its Fair Value.

The fiber cement manufacturer’s North American results and guidance came in "dramatically below" expectations, according to Truist Securities. The company’s shares dropped significantly while the S&P remained flat during the same period.

Truist believes James Hardie’s guidance is "too conservative," particularly regarding its North American fiber cement business. The guidance implies multiple rounds of sales deceleration and channel inventory reductions over several quarters, which the firm considers overly bearish. Despite recent challenges, the company maintains healthy financials with $3.79 billion in revenue. Get deeper insights with a comprehensive Pro Research Report, available exclusively on InvestingPro.

The research firm noted that channel commentary is "much more positive" on James Hardie’s market share position than the company’s own numbers would suggest. This disconnect between market feedback and company guidance factored into Truist’s decision to maintain its rating.

Truist Securities is maintaining its $25 price target on James Hardie stock, suggesting significant upside potential from current levels following last week’s sharp decline.

In other recent news, James Hardie Industries has reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, prompting several analyst firms to adjust their ratings and price targets. CLSA downgraded the company from Hold to Underperform, citing disappointing quarterly performance and soft guidance for the full year. UBS also downgraded James Hardie from Buy to Neutral after the company reported a 29% decline in underlying net profit after tax, which was 19% below consensus forecasts.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley maintained its Overweight rating but reduced its price target to AUD41.00, adjusting its earnings per share estimates downward for fiscal years 2026-2028. BofA Securities cut its price target to $23.70, maintaining a Buy rating while reducing its FY26 EBITDA forecast by 20% due to the company’s recent results and guidance. Truist Securities followed suit, lowering its price target to $25.00 but keeping a Buy rating, attributing the adjustment to weak demand in North America. These developments reflect the challenges James Hardie faces amid shifting market conditions.

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