Azzet reports on three stocks with price moving updates today.
James Hardie lifts on US cost containment measures
Shares in James Hardie (ASX: JHX) were trading around 2% higher this morning after the building materials company revealed plans to close down manufacturing facilities in the U.S. states of California and South Carolina within the next two months, as a cost reduction measure within its North American manufacturing footprint.
These initiatives — driven by lower fixed costs and improved — are expected to generate annualised cost savings of around US$25 million (A$37.3 million) starting in Q1 FY27.
Based on some broker calculations, these measures — at facilities representing around 6% of year-to-date North American volume James Hardie’s fibre-based cement walling and cladding products in North America — are expected to boost profit by between 2 to 3%.
This financial year, the company’s North American volume is expected to fall 13% below its 2022 peak.
Most of the one-time pre-tax charges of US$40 million to $44 million, including severance, contract termination, and asset impairments, are expected to be to recorded in Q4 FY26.
CEO Aaron Erter told the market that following a comprehensive review of its manufacturing network, the company had decided to transfer more production volume to its modern, advanced plants.
“These actions will further improve our cost structure, increase productivity, and reinforce the Hardie Operating System, while ensuring we have the capacity needed to support our growth initiatives,” he said.
While the share price has recovered somewhat from the A$25.43 slump last November, it remains light-years away from the $60-plus it was trading at early March 2024.
Much of the tough love dished out to James Hardie since July last year relates to shareholder uncertainty over the over the controversial $14 billion buyout of U.S. outdoor decking company Azek.
Meanwhile, while James Hardie has not raised its guidance for the third quarter and FY26, investor sentiment was sufficiently encouraged to drive the share price higher.
The previous full-year profit forecast made on November 18, which lifted by around 11%, was driven by a better-than-expected performance at Azek.
Adjusted earnings between US$1.2 billion and $1.25 billion for the year to March 31 are higher than earlier estimates of between $1.05 billion and $1.15 billion.
While James Hardie shares are showing early signs of stabilising after a tough year, they still appear to be in a long-term bearish trend confirmed by a falling 200-day moving average.
However, there are rallies occurring at shorter timeframes. The five-day moving average is above the 20 and 50-day moving averages,which is bullish and means investors see opportunity in this stock.
James Hardie has a market capitalisation of $15.3 billion; the share price is down 34% in one year and up 15% in the last week.
The consensus recommendation is Moderate Buy.
IperionX rises after receiving more US funding
Shares in IperionX (ASX: IPX) were trading up 2% at noon after the American producer of titanium alloys, titanium products and critical minerals announced a US$4.6 million tranche of U.S. Department of Defence (DoD) funding through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program (IBAS) to support the scale-up of titanium manufacturing at its Virginia facility.
The capital will help scale-up titanium production and advanced manufacturing at the facility to 1400 metric tonnes annually.
The United States Government has also transferred 290 metric tonnes (320 short tonnes) of high-quality titanium alloy scrap metal — surplus to its needs — to IperionX at no cost.
Management told the market the scrap metal represented around 1.5 years of titanium feedstock at IperionX’s full operating capacity of 200 metric tonnes per year.
IperionX holds around 90 metric tonnes of titanium scrap inventory at its facility, excluding the newly transferred material.
Management also told the market the IBAS program reinforced U.S. defence supply chains by fostering a resilient, low-cost titanium platform, reducing reliance on imports and supporting a secure domestic manufacturing source of critical materials.
Fuelled by increasing titanium demand and significant DoD contracts, IperionX shares are up around 60% in a little over six weeks.
A contract IperionX received from the DoD - valued at up to $99 million - in June 2025 is expected to advance low-cost domestic titanium production for defense applications.
Adding to this momentum, IperionX was awarded up to $47.1 million by the U.S. DoD in February 2025 to boost the U.S. Defence Industrial Base and establish a fully integrated domestic titanium supply chain.
This initiative includes advancing the Titan Critical Minerals Project in Tennessee and expanding titanium production capacity at the Virginia campus.
In mid-December, IperionX also announced a partnership with Carver Pump to produce titanium impellers for U.S. Navy ships, with an initial order worth US$100,000 and completion set for May 2026.
It is understood successful prototyping could lead to larger supply agreements, positioning IperionX to enhance its role in the defence sector and further increase its production capacity.
IperionX has a market capitalisation of $2.4 billion; the share price is up 64% in one year and up 34% in the last month.
The stock appears to be in a strong bullish trend confirmed by multiple indicators.
The consensus recommendation is Strong Buy.
Dalaroo Metals skyrockets after updating on Greenland Blue Lagoon project
Shares in Dalaroo Metals (ASX: DAL) were trading 38% higher at noon after the gold and base metals junior explorer identified a large, coherent critical minerals system at its 100%-owned Blue Lagoon project in Greenland.
Following the first modern sampling program conducted since 1979, maiden geochemical sampling returned consistent, high-grade zirconium, hafnium, and rare earth element (REE) mineralisation across an approximately 2.7-kilometre strike, confirming the presence of a broad and laterally extensive mineralised system.
The market likes the fact that the results validate historical Greenland and Denmark Geological Survey data, especially at a time when Greenland minerals are front and centre of geopolitical disputes.
The sampling program also materially upgraded Blue Lagoon as a potential new district-scale critical minerals project in a favourable regulatory jurisdiction.
The 2025 field program collected 113 samples, all of which returned anomalous zirconium and REE values, indicating pervasive mineralisation across the sampled area.
Analytical results demonstrate strong, coherent multi-element anomalism in total rare earth oxides, light rare earth elements and heavy rare earth oxides, with niobium and zirconium.
Dalaroo believes the distribution of zirconium and hafnium supports the interpretation of a large-scale mineralised system rather than isolated occurrences.
Exceptional surface sample results included zirconium oxide grades of up to 4.42% and hafnium oxide values up to 98 parts per million from sediment samples, with more than 2% zirconium oxide and greater than 40ppm hafnium oxide encountered across the full strike in both auger holes and sediment samples.
Meanwhile, REE assays returned high-grade total rare earth oxide values, including results of up to 8,079 ppm with magnet rare earth oxides comprising 29% of the total, closely correlating with historical regional geochemical anomalies identified by the Greenland and Denmark Geological Survey in 1979.
Dalaroo Chief Executive Officer John Morgan told the market the results represented a highly encouraging start to modern exploration at the Blue Lagoon project.
“The scale and consistency of rare earth, niobium, and zirconium anomalism over a 2.7-kilometre strike, combined with exceptionally low uranium and thorium levels, confirms we are dealing with a robust and regionally extensive critical minerals system,” he added.
Meantime, last October Dalaroo acquired a 100% interest in four gold projects in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Made through a binding agreement with Red Rock Exploration, the acquisition covers 1,368 square kilometres within the Birimian Greenstone Belts.
Dalaroo Chairman David Quinlivan believes the acquisition represents a major step forward in building a high-quality gold portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire.
He also highlighted the encouraging high-grade gold intersections and surface geochemistry already identified within the projects, offering scope for rapid advancement and new discoveries.
Dalaroo Metals has a market capitalisation of $27 million; the share price is up 316% in one year and 63% in the last week.
The stock appears to be in a long-term uptrend confirmed by multiple indicators.
Specifically, the 20 and 200-day moving averages are upward sloping and signal that the stock can be expected to continue rallying in both timeframes.
There is no consensus recommendation for this stock.
This article does not constitute financial or product advice. You should consider independent advice before making financial decisions.
