CRH plc (CRH) expands its market reach in Northern California by acquiring BoDean Company Inc. and Northgate Ready Mix, LLC in Santa Rosa, CA.The two newly acquired companies are considered under CRH’s Materials Solutions business, thus marking the business’ debut in California. Furthermore, the acquired companies complement the Materials Solutions’ business profile in the Western United States. These acquisitions add diversity to the company’s product portfolio with two aggregates quarries, two ready-mixed ...

Group 1: Construction Sector Overview - The Zacks Construction sector has 15 stocks on the Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy) list, indicating abundant investment opportunities [1] - The sector is benefiting from strong business industries, with several stocks recently added to the strong buy list [1] Group 2: Comfort Systems USA (FIX) - Comfort Systems USA is part of the Zacks Building Products-Air Conditioner and Heating Industry, which ranks in the top 2% of over 250 Zacks industries [2] - The stock has increased by 54% year-to-date and 125% over the last year, driven by its comprehensive HVAC services [2] - Annual earnings are forecasted to grow by 30% in FY24 to $11.42 per share, with FY25 EPS expected to rise another 13% [2] - The stock trades at 27.5X forward earnings, slightly below the industry average of 33.8X [2] Group 3: CRH (CRH) - CRH operates in the Zacks Building Products-Miscellaneous Industry, which is in the top 3% of all Zacks industries [4] - The stock has risen by 22% year-to-date and 68% over the last year, trading at a forward earnings multiple of 15.8X, below the industry average of 18.3X [4] - Annual earnings are expected to increase by 15% this year and by another 8% in FY25 to $5.79 per share [4] Group 4: Armstrong World Industries (AWI) - Armstrong World Industries is also in the Zacks Building Products-Miscellaneous Industry, with its stock up 24% in 2024 and 78% over the last year [7] - The stock trades at a forward earnings multiple of 20.9X, near the industry average [7] - Annual earnings are projected to rise by 8% in both FY25 [7] Group 5: Earnings Estimates and Market Outlook - Earnings estimate revisions for these top construction sector stocks have increased, suggesting continued strong price performance [8] - The reasonable P/E valuations indicate that now is a good time to buy [8]

The U.S. Census Bureau recently reported slightly lower Construction spending in February from January’s revised reading. The metric declined 0.3% month over month and missed analysts’ expectations of 0.7% due to weaknesses in non-residential and public projects.Nonetheless, the reported metric rose 10.7% from the February 2023 reading. Defying a decline in outlays on public projects, improved residential market, increased repair and remodeling activities, higher infrastructure investments and the Federal G ...

Group 1 - Armstrong World Industries (AWI) is outperforming the Construction sector with a year-to-date return of 26.3%, compared to the sector average of 15.7% [2][3] - The Zacks Rank for AWI is 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook [2][3] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AWI's full-year earnings has increased by 4.8% over the past quarter, reflecting improving analyst sentiment [2] Group 2 - Dream Finders Homes Inc. (DFH) is another stock in the Construction sector that has performed well, with a year-to-date return of 23.1% [2][3] - AWI is part of the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, which ranks 9 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average gain of 18% this year [3] - The Building Products - Home Builders industry, which includes DFH, is ranked 48 and has seen a year-to-date increase of 13.3% [3]

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Armstrong World Industries (AWI) . Shares have added about 3.1% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Armstrong World Industries due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts. Armstrong Worl ...

Industry Overview - U.S. home construction experienced significant growth in February, rebounding from earlier weather-related setbacks, driven by favorable mortgage rates and a shortage of existing homes for sale [1][2] - Builders are adapting to higher mortgage rates by implementing price reductions and incentives, as well as adjusting home sizes to manage rising material costs [1][2] Key Statistics - Housing starts increased by 10.7% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.521 million units in February, surpassing the consensus estimate of 1.453 million units by 4.7% [2] - Residential building permits rose by 1.9% month-over-month and 2.4% year-over-year to an annualized rate of 1.518 million units, exceeding analysts' predictions [2] - Single-family homebuilding starts surged by 11.6% from January and 35.2% year-over-year [3] Market Trends - Anticipated Federal Reserve rate cuts in late 2024 may stabilize mortgage rates, benefiting homebuilders [4] - The 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreased to 6.74% as of March 14, 2024, marking a decline from the previous week and the lowest level since early February [4] - Homebuilder sentiment increased to 51 in March, indicating positive trends in the housing market [5] Company Performance - Toll Brothers, Inc. (TOL) shares surged 108.5% over the past year, with EPS estimates for fiscal 2024 rising to $13.72 [7] - Century Communities, Inc. (CCS) shares increased by 48% over the past year, with EPS estimates for 2024 rising to $10.06 [8] - Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI) shares rose 78.4% over the past year, with EPS estimates for 2024 increasing to $5.74 [9] - Summit Materials, Inc. (SUM) shares gained 53.6% over the past year, with EPS estimates for 2024 rising to $2.31 [9] - Masco Corporation (MAS) shares rallied 46.9% over the past year, with EPS estimates for 2024 increasing to $4.12 [9]

Group 1 - Armstrong World Industries (AWI) is currently outperforming the Construction sector with a year-to-date return of 23.8%, compared to the sector average of 10.7% [2][3] - The Zacks Rank for AWI is 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook with a 4.8% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days [2] - AWI belongs to the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, which has gained about 13.4% year to date, showing that AWI is performing better than its industry peers [3] Group 2 - Dream Finders Homes Inc. (DFH) has also shown strong performance with a year-to-date return of 12.9% and a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [2][3] - The consensus EPS estimate for DFH increased by 19.9% over the past three months, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [3] - The Building Products - Home Builders industry, to which DFH belongs, is currently ranked 26 and has moved up by 7.9% year to date [3]

Company Overview - Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI) is positioned favorably within the Building Products – Miscellaneous sector, showing solid earnings estimate revision activity [1][2] - The company has experienced a rise in earnings estimates, with current quarter estimates increasing from $1.15 to $1.20 per share and current year estimates rising from $5.52 to $5.65 per share [2] Industry Analysis - The Building Products - Miscellaneous industry has a Zacks Industry Rank of 15 out of over 250 industries, indicating strong overall performance compared to other sectors [1] - The positive trends in the industry suggest that a rising tide may benefit multiple companies within this segment, enhancing investment opportunities [1] Investment Potential - Armstrong World has earned a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), reflecting analysts' increasing bullish sentiment regarding the company's short and long-term prospects [2] - The combination of a strong industry ranking and solid estimate revisions positions Armstrong World as an attractive investment choice for those seeking opportunities in this sector [2]

Company Overview - Armstrong World Industries, Inc. (AWI) is a leader in the design and manufacture of innovative ceiling and wall system solutions in the Americas [2] - The company reported $1.3 billion in revenue for 2023 and has approximately 3,100 employees [2] - AWI operates a manufacturing network consisting of 16 facilities, along with seven facilities dedicated to its WAVE joint venture [2] Upcoming Events - The President & CEO Vic Grizzle and SVP & CFO Chris Calzaretta will host virtual investor meetings at the 5th Annual Loop Investor Conference on March 11, 2024 [1] - An updated Investor Presentation has been published and is available on the company's Investor Relations website [1]

Group 1 - Armstrong World Industries (AWI) has shown a year-to-date return of 24.5%, outperforming the average gain of 6.1% in the Construction sector [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AWI's full-year earnings has increased by 5% in the past quarter, indicating improving analyst sentiment [2] - AWI is currently ranked 2 (Buy) in the Zacks Rank system, which evaluates stocks based on earnings estimates and revisions [1] Group 2 - Armstrong World Industries is part of the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry, which consists of 29 companies and is currently ranked 16 in the Zacks Industry Rank [3] - The Building Products - Miscellaneous industry has an average year-to-date gain of 9.7%, with AWI performing better than this average [3] - Acuity Brands (AYI), another stock in the Construction sector, has a year-to-date return of 19.5% and is ranked 1 (Strong Buy) in the Zacks Rank system [2][3]