Bidding War Begins for Construction Materials Stock

Core Insights - GMS Inc has seen a significant increase in stock price, rising 30% to $104.25 following two buyout bids, one from Home Depot and another from QXO with a $5 billion all-cash offer [1] - The stock experienced its largest daily gain since December 2022, with a 10.6% increase on Wednesday, and is on track for its highest close and best daily percentage jump on record [2] - Truist Securities and Barclays have raised their price targets for GMS to $105 and $95 respectively, indicating potential for further bullish sentiment despite a majority of brokerages maintaining a "hold" recommendation [3] Stock Performance - GMS shares are up 21% in 2025, reflecting strong market performance [2] - The average 12-month price target for GMS is $95.93, which represents a 7.5% discount to current trading levels [3] Short Interest - Short interest in GMS has increased by 7.3% over the past two reporting periods, now making up 4.4% of the total available float [4] - At the current average daily trading volume, it would take over four days for short sellers to cover their positions [4]