James Hardie Faces Securities Class Action Over Inventory Claims as Lead‑Plaintiff Deadline Nears

Plaintiffs say management masked distributor destocking in its core North America unit by portraying inventory‑driven sales as real demand.

Overview

The federal case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois as Laborers' District Council & Contractors' Pension Fund of Ohio v. James Hardie Industries plc, No. 1:25-cv-13018.
The complaint alleges violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) and Rule 10b‑5 based on statements in May 2025 that denied destocking while North America sales were allegedly boosted by inventory loading with hallmarks of channel stuffing.
On Aug. 19, 2025, the company disclosed a 12% sales decline in North America Fiber Cement tied to destocking first identified in April–May and cautioned that the impact would last at least two quarters.
The stock fell about $9.79, or more than 34%, to close at $18.64 on Aug. 20, 2025, following the disclosure.
The class period is May 20–Aug. 18, 2025, the shares converted from ADRs to common stock on July 1, 2025, and multiple plaintiff firms, including Hagens Berman, Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, Lowey Dannenberg, Glancy Prongay & Murray, Levi & Korsinsky, and Berger Montague, are soliciting investors ahead of the Dec. 23, 2025 lead‑plaintiff deadline.