Group 1: James Hardie (JHX) - James Hardie's stock price plummeted over 34%, marking the largest drop since 1973, closing at $18.64 per share with a market capitalization of $8 billion [1][2] - For Q1 of FY2026, the company reported a net sales figure of $900 million, a 9% year-over-year decline, and an adjusted net profit of $127 million, down 29% year-over-year [2] - The CEO highlighted uncertainty in the market, attributing the decline to high borrowing costs and a bleak outlook for North American operations, particularly in single-family home construction [2][3] Group 2: Home Improvement Retailers - Home improvement retailers Lowe's and Home Depot expressed similar concerns regarding the impact of high interest rates on consumer spending and large renovation projects [3] - Lowe's projected a stable overall home improvement market for the year, while acknowledging short-term challenges such as rising mortgage rates and consumer affordability issues [3] Group 3: Palantir Technologies - Palantir's stock fell 1.1% to $156, marking the sixth consecutive day of decline, with a total drop of over 16% during this period [1][4] - The stock has dropped 18% from its recent intraday high, causing it to fall out of the list of the 20 most valuable companies in the U.S. [5] - A short report from Andrew Left of Citron Research claimed Palantir's stock is disconnected from its fundamentals, suggesting a fair value of $40 compared to its current valuation [6]

Core Viewpoint - The article highlights significant stock price declines for James Hardie and Palantir, indicating challenges in the construction materials and data analytics sectors due to market conditions and investor sentiment [1][3][5]. Group 1: James Hardie (JHX) - James Hardie's stock price plummeted over 34%, marking the largest drop since 1973, closing at $18.64 per share with a market capitalization of $8 billion [1][3]. - The company's latest financial report for Q1 of FY2026 showed a 9% year-over-year decline in net sales to $900 million and a 29% drop in adjusted net profit to $127 million, attributed to high borrowing costs and a bleak outlook for North American operations [3][4]. - CEO Aaron Erter noted that uncertainty is prevalent among customers and contractors, with weak market demand primarily due to a slowdown in single-family home activities, particularly in the southern U.S. [3][4]. Group 2: Palantir - Palantir's stock fell 1.1% to $156, marking its sixth consecutive day of decline, with a total drop of over 16% during this period [1][6]. - The company is experiencing its longest downturn since April 2024, with its stock down 18% from recent highs, causing it to drop out of the list of the 20 most valuable companies in the U.S. [7][8]. - Andrew Left from Citron Research criticized Palantir's valuation, suggesting it should be around $40 based on fundamentals, despite the company recently reporting its first $1 billion quarterly revenue, which exceeded Wall Street expectations [7][8].