Virtu Financial LLC Invests $488,000 in Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI)

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (NYSE:AWI) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 3,461 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $488,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. boosted its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 140.4% during the 4th quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. now owns 666,000 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $94,126,000 after purchasing an additional 389,000 shares during the last quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 267.1% in the fourth quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 532,602 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $75,273,000 after purchasing an additional 387,537 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in shares of Armstrong World Industries by 15,282.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 282,887 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $398,530,000 after buying an additional 281,048 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its stake in Armstrong World Industries by 34.0% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 680,622 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $95,886,000 after buying an additional 172,779 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Alpha Capital Management Ltd. bought a new position in Armstrong World Industries during the first quarter valued at approximately $21,301,000. 98.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on AWI shares. Wall Street Zen raised Armstrong World Industries from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, July 26th. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $178.00 target price (up from $158.00) on shares of Armstrong World Industries in a report on Wednesday, July 30th. Truist Financial set a $195.00 price target on shares of Armstrong World Industries and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $157.00 to $182.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 30th. Finally, Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Armstrong World Industries from $162.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 15th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $177.13.

Armstrong World Industries Stock Up 1.3%

Shares of AWI opened at $196.59 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The business has a fifty day moving average of $168.21 and a 200 day moving average of $153.97. The company has a market cap of $8.50 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.43. Armstrong World Industries, Inc. has a 52-week low of $118.14 and a 52-week high of $197.04.

Armstrong World Industries (NYSE:AWI) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 29th. The construction company reported $2.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.34. Armstrong World Industries had a net margin of 18.95% and a return on equity of 39.80%. The firm had revenue of $424.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $404.05 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.62 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Armstrong World Industries, Inc. will post 6.18 EPS for the current year.

Armstrong World Industries Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 7th will be given a dividend of $0.308 per share. This represents a $1.23 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 7th. Armstrong World Industries’s payout ratio is 18.20%.

Armstrong World Industries 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.