Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) Short Interest Up 15.2% in May

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of May. As of May 31st, there was short interest totalling 685,800 shares, a growth of 15.2% from the May 15th total of 595,500 shares. Approximately 1.6% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 327,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.1 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on AWI shares. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Armstrong World Industries from $117.00 to $119.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $111.00 to $132.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Truist Financial lifted their target price on Armstrong World Industries from $95.00 to $131.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. StockNews.com raised Armstrong World Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Armstrong World Industries from $121.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 1st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Armstrong World Industries presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $110.17.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:AWI opened at $114.20 on Tuesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $115.85 and its 200-day moving average is $110.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.79. Armstrong World Industries has a 52 week low of $68.35 and a 52 week high of $125.56. The company has a market capitalization of $5.00 billion, a PE ratio of 21.44, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 1.16.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 30th. The construction company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.23 by $0.15. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 18.03% and a return on equity of 41.81%. The firm had revenue of $326.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $319.44 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.12 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Armstrong World Industries will post 5.89 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Armstrong World Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 9th were given a $0.28 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 8th. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Armstrong World Industries’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.05%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Armstrong World Industries

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AWI. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 20.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 596 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 101 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Armstrong World Industries by 67.3% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 261 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Armstrong World Industries by 25.3% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 620 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $77,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Armstrong World Industries by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 13,733 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $986,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Armstrong World Industries by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 4,291 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $309,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.93% of the company’s stock.

Armstrong World Industries Company Profile

Armstrong World Industries, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of ceiling and wall solutions in the Americas. It operates through Mineral Fiber and Architectural Specialties segments. The company offers mineral fiber, fiberglass wool, metal, wood, felt, wood fiber, and glass-reinforced-gypsum; ceiling component products, such as ceiling perimeters and trims, as well as grid products that support drywall ceiling systems; ceilings, walls, and facades for use in commercial settings; and manufactures ceiling suspension system (grid) products.