Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund Boosts Position in Armstrong World Industries, Inc. $AWI

Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund raised its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) by 239.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 91,861 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 64,800 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund’s holdings in Armstrong World Industries were worth $15,139,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Accurate Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 3.5% in the fourth quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,490 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $299,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 77.0% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 131 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. MQS Management LLC boosted its position in Armstrong World Industries by 4.4% during the 1st quarter. MQS Management LLC now owns 1,474 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $243,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its position in Armstrong World Industries by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 1,700 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $325,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, Interchange Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Armstrong World Industries by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Interchange Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,292 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $247,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. 98.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on Armstrong World Industries from $200.00 to $195.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Armstrong World Industries from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 4th. Bank of America lowered their target price on Armstrong World Industries from $216.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, Evercore set a $200.00 target price on Armstrong World Industries in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $211.86.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Performance

NYSE:AWI opened at $164.96 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $156.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $170.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $7.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.40, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.17. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a 1-year low of $150.28 and a 1-year high of $206.08.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The construction company reported $1.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.82 by ($0.13). Armstrong World Industries had a return on equity of 36.71% and a net margin of 18.59%.The business had revenue of $409.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $409.46 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.66 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 8.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Armstrong World Industries declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, July 21st that allows the company to repurchase $800.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to repurchase up to 12.3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Armstrong World Industries Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, August 19th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 5th will be paid a dividend of $0.339 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 5th. Armstrong World Industries’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.29%.

Armstrong World Industries 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.