Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the ten ratings firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, five have assigned a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $207.50.

AWI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Armstrong World Industries from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, November 2nd. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $178.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 29th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $210.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 29th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Armstrong World Industries

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AWI. Alps Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Armstrong World Industries by 1,317.0% during the third quarter. Alps Advisors Inc. now owns 36,418 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $7,138,000 after purchasing an additional 33,848 shares in the last quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 177,232 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $28,790,000 after buying an additional 5,730 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board grew its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 10.8% in the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 208,870 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $40,941,000 after buying an additional 20,280 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. raised its stake in Armstrong World Industries by 121.3% during the 2nd quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 737,000 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $119,718,000 after acquiring an additional 404,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Calamos Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Armstrong World Industries in the third quarter valued at $2,055,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.93% of the company’s stock.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of NYSE AWI opened at $199.03 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $8.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.47, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.33. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $192.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $192.82. Armstrong World Industries has a 12-month low of $122.37 and a 12-month high of $206.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

Armstrong World Industries Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 19th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a dividend of $0.339 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 5th. Armstrong World Industries’s payout ratio is 19.46%.

About Armstrong World Industries

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.