Partner Reed Kathrein Investigating Alleged Assurances of “Normal” Inventory Levels Against Later Revealed Destocking Trends
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — National shareholder rights law firm Hagens Berman is issuing a reminder to investors in James Hardie Industries plc (NYSE: JHX) as the December 23, 2025, lead plaintiff deadline approaches in a pending securities class action against James Hardie and certain of its key executives.
The litigation alleges that James Hardie senior management misled investors by touting “robust” and “normal” inventory levels, while allegedly aware that channel partners were aggressively destocking as early as April 2025. When this alleged deception was purportedly disclosed on August 20, 2025, it immediately caused a 34% stock collapse and was followed by the abrupt November 17 resignation of CFO Rachel Wilson.
Hagens Berman, which is investigating the claims in the pending litigation, urges investors with substantial losses to submit their information now.
DEEPER DIVE: Read Hagens Berman’s latest blog post on James Hardie’s alleged inventory deception, Alleged Inventory Deception: Investors Claim James Hardie Concealed Weak Demand, or view our latest video summary of the allegations: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hXU4zX9asY
“Consistent with the complaint’s allegations, we are investigating whether the purported strength in the North American segment was actually the result of inventory loading,” said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the firm’s investigation in this matter.
Class Action Suit Alleges Inventory Loading
- Alleged Deceptive Inventory Statements: The lawsuit alleges that despite witnessing North America Fiber Cement customers destocking inventory as early as April and early May 2025, the defendants issued numerous false assurances that the segment remained strong and expressly denied that destocking was occurring.
- Concealment of Inventory Loading: Investors were allegedly kept in the dark regarding inventory loading by channel partners. The complaint alleges these practices were concealed while the company emphasized sustainable customer demand.
- The August 2025 Disclosure: On August 19, 2025, James Hardie revealed that sales in its critical North America Fiber Cement segment had declined by 12% due to the customer destocking first identified by defendants months earlier.
- 34% Market Correction: Following this disclosure, the price of James Hardie common stock plummeted by over 34%, resulting in significant financial losses for shareholders.
Next Steps for James Hardie (JHX) Investors:
Investors who purchased James Hardie stock (JHX) between May 20, 2025, and August 18, 2025, and suffered substantial losses, are encouraged to contact Hagens Berman immediately to discuss their legal options and potential appointment as Lead Plaintiff.
TO SUBMIT YOUR JAMES HARDIE (JHX) LOSSES NOW, PLEASE USE THE SECURE FORM BELOW:
To read more about the issue facing JHX investors, visit, https://www.hbsslaw.com/cases/james-hardie-industries-plc-jhx-securities-class-action
Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding James Hardie should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email [email protected].
About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs’ rights complex litigation firm focusing on corporate accountability. The firm is home to a robust practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongdoings. Hagens Berman’s team has secured more than $2.9 billion in this area of law. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.
SOURCE Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
