James Hardie Investors Face Dec. 23 Deadline in Securities Class Action Over Alleged Inventory Misstatements

Investor filings allege the North America unit masked weakening demand through distributor overstocking, which preceded a 12% sales decline disclosure that sent shares down 34% in August.

Overview

The 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. 25-cv-13018.
The putative class covers purchases of James Hardie common stock or ADSs from May 20, 2025 through August 18, 2025, with a lead-plaintiff motion deadline of December 23, 2025.
Plaintiffs cite May 20–21 statements that characterized demand as strong and inventory levels as normal despite alleged knowledge of distributor destocking dating to April–May.
On August 19, 2025, the company reported a 12% sales decline in the North America Fiber Cement segment, described as a normalization of channel inventories with expected impact over at least the next two quarters.
Multiple plaintiff firms are soliciting investors and potential whistleblowers, and no rulings on the merits or class certification have been reported.