L1 Capital, an investment management firm, released its “L1 Long Short Fund” second-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The market’s main themes in the June quarter were the Iran conflict and developments in the AI sector. These trends shifted after oil prices declined due to a ceasefire agreement, leading to a reversal. AI stocks surged, driven by strong earnings, rapid capital investment, and critical supply shortages. During this period, the L1 Long Short Fund achieved notable gains, rising 12.7% compared to the ASX200AI’s 4.0%, with year-to-date returns at 12.5% versus 2.4%. U.S. equities outperformed, especially those benefiting from AI-related capital expenditure. The firm is satisfied with the portfolio’s positioning, emphasizing strong medium-term growth potential, supported by attractive valuations, solid earnings, and robust cash flow. In addition, you can check the Fund’s top five holdings to know its best picks in 2026.
In its Q2 2026 investor letter, L1 Long Short Fund highlighted James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX). Based in Dublin, Ireland, James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) is a building materials company that manufactures and supplies fiber cement, fiber gypsum, and cement-bonded building products. On July 17, 2026, James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) closed at $25.82 per share, reflecting a market capitalization of $14.98 billion. James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) posted a one-month return of 5.34%, while its shares lost 1.64% over the past 52 weeks.
L1 Long Short Fund stated the following regarding James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) in its Q2 2026 investor update:
“James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) (+46%) shares recovered over the quarter following easing Middle East tensions and on management’s release of a constructive FY27 outlook, which included a pathway to return the core North American fibre cement business to volume growth, despite a subdued U.S. housing market. We expect this volume recovery to be supported by normalisation of channel inventory following the 2025 destocking period, improving execution in repair & remodel / smaller-builder channels, the Trim-Over installation method, competitor exits and continued material conversion from vinyl and wood.
In our view, the market is still applying a discounted multiple to James Hardie to reflect recent execution, governance and housing-cycle concerns. As these issues are progressively addressed, we believe there is scope for both earnings growth and recovery in the valuation multiple over time.”
James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) is not on our list of 40 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds Heading Into 2026. According to our database, 57 hedge fund portfolios held James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) at the end of the first quarter, up from 49 in the previous quarter. James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) total net sales rose 45% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026 to $1.4 billion, including $445 million contributed by the acquired AZEK. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
In another article, we covered James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE:JHX) and shared the list of best cement stocks to buy for the long term. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q2 2026 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
