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James Hardie IndustriesFRA:JHA -2.29%48 Debt-to-Equity is 0.69 as of Jun. 2026, which is 3% below its 10-year median of 0.71. GuruFocus rates FRA:JHA with a GF Score™ of 48/100. The stock has 9 warning signs investors should review. Among 373 Building Materials companies, James Hardie Industries ranks worse than 73.19% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for James Hardie Industries's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
FRA:JHA'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -4.87 Med: 0.71 Max: 1.46
Current: 0.69
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of James Hardie Industries was 1.46. The lowest was -4.87. And the median was 0.71.
FRA:JHA's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 73.19% of 373
companies
in the Building Materials industry
Industry Median: 0.35
vs FRA:JHA: 0.69
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
James Hardie Industries Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
James Hardie Industries Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
FRA:JHA vs EXP, KNF, USLM: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Building Materials subindustry, James Hardie Industries's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
James Hardie Industries Debt-to-Equity vs Building Materials Industry
For the Building Materials industry and Basic Materials sector, James Hardie Industries's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where James Hardie Industries's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
James Hardie Industries (FRA:JHA) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on James Hardie Industries and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.71. According to the industry distribution chart, James Hardie Industries ranks #273 out of 373 companies in the Building Materials industry, placing it in the top 73.2%.
Is James Hardie Industries' Debt-to-Equity too high?
James Hardie Industries' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 is near median its 10-year median of 0.71. The Building Materials industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.35. James Hardie Industries' value of 0.69 is 97.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, James Hardie Industries ranks #273 out of 373 companies in the Building Materials industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, James Hardie Industries has a GF Score™ of 48/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does James Hardie Industries' Debt-to-Equity compare to EXP and KNF?
According to the Building Materials industry distribution chart, James Hardie Industries ranks #273 out of 373 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places James Hardie Industries in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.35. James Hardie Industries' value of 0.69 is 97.1% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.71 vs. the industry median of 0.35, James Hardie Industries has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Building Materials company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Building Materials companies is 0.35, based on 373 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. James Hardie Industries's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 is 97.1% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on James Hardie Industries and its competitors. For the Building Materials industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.35 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. James Hardie Industries's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.71. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is James Hardie Industries stock overvalued right now?
James Hardie Industries (FRA:JHA) has a current Debt-to-Equity of 0.69. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.71 and 97.1% above the Building Materials industry median of 0.35. James Hardie Industries' overall GF Score™ is 48/100 with 9 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For James Hardie Industries (FRA:JHA), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
James Hardie is a manufacturer of fiber cement-based building products, selling primarily to the residential construction industry. North America is the primary geography, generating about 80% of group earnings. Here, it is the largest manufacturer of fiber cement, which is mainly used for exterior siding on houses. Following the Azek acquisition in 2025, it also produces wooden composite decking materials, siding trims, and accessories for outdoor areas including stair and deck railing. Businesses in Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, make up the rest of earnings.
48GF Score
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