Rice Hall James & Associates LLC Has $34.63 Million Position in Armstrong World Industries, Inc. $AWI

Rice Hall James & Associates LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) by 8.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 176,662 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 16,250 shares during the period. Armstrong World Industries comprises about 1.9% of Rice Hall James & Associates LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 10th largest position. Rice Hall James & Associates LLC’s holdings in Armstrong World Industries were worth $34,628,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the 2nd quarter worth about $32,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries during the second quarter worth about $46,000. MAI Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Armstrong World Industries during the second quarter worth about $47,000. Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new stake in Armstrong World Industries in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Finally, Bare Financial Services Inc lifted its stake in Armstrong World Industries by 1,789.5% in the 2nd quarter. Bare Financial Services Inc now owns 359 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. 98.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on AWI shares. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $178.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Armstrong World Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 2nd. Vertical Research began coverage on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a research note on Monday, October 20th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $238.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Bank of America upped their target price on Armstrong World Industries from $205.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, October 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Armstrong World Industries presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $207.50.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Up 0.5%

Armstrong World Industries stock opened at $192.38 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The company’s 50-day moving average is $189.15 and its 200-day moving average is $184.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.30 billion, a PE ratio of 27.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 1.30. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $122.37 and a fifty-two week high of $206.08.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 6th. The construction company reported $1.36 EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $325.00 million during the quarter. Armstrong World Industries had a return on equity of 38.97% and a net margin of 19.08%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Armstrong World Industries Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 6th were issued a dividend of $0.339 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 6th. This is a boost from Armstrong World Industries’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.31. Armstrong World Industries’s payout ratio is presently 19.46%.

Armstrong World Industries Company Profile

Armstrong World Industries, Inc is a leading global manufacturer of commercial ceiling and wall solutions. The company offers a diverse portfolio of acoustical, decorative and specialty ceiling systems designed to enhance interior environments in offices, healthcare facilities, schools, retail outlets and other non-residential settings. Through its focus on performance, aesthetics and sustainability, Armstrong World Industries addresses both functional and design requirements for architects, contractors and building owners.

Armstrong’s product range includes mineral fiber, fiberglass, wood wool, metal and stone wool ceiling panels, as well as suspension and grid systems.