CRH vs JHX Stock Comparison
CRH currently leads JHX in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 51 vs 48. The clearest difference is quality, while JHX has the stronger momentum profile.
What is the main difference between CRH and JHX?
CRH leads the current stock comparison as CRH plc, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
CRH plc vs James Hardie Industries plc
CRH leads
CRH leads by 3 AIQ points, primarily on Quality, but the lead has narrowed from 6 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 2 of 6 evidence groups support CRH, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
CRH plc
James Hardie Industries plc
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors CRH over JHX, 51 versus 48 as of Oct 22, 2026. CRH's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality, while JHX holds the stronger momentum profile. CRH also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor CRH today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 3 points. CRH lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 3 points over 30 sessions.
Compare CRH plc and James Hardie Industries plc across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare CRH and JHX against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality58 vs 38CRH +20
- Momentum51 vs 58JHX +7
- Value41 vs 44Even
- Risk Resilience60 vs 58Even
2 of 6 evidence groups favor CRH. CRH’s edge is concentrated in quality; JHX keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +11
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +5
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
CRH's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — CRH and JHX both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
CRH (CRH plc): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality.
JHX (James Hardie Industries plc): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 33.7% against 28%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
CRHCRH on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
JHXJHX on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
JHXJHX on the Momentum factor, by 7 points.
Lower downside
CRHCRH carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
CRHCRH on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | CRH | JHX | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +48.5% | +22.8% | CRH has more room |
| Target dispersion | +47.4% | +58.8% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 9 | 6 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 6 covered evidence groups favor CRH. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 51 vs 48 |
| Fundamentals | CRHon balance | revenue growth 46.2% vs 5%; EPS growth 9.2% vs 266.6%; TTM ROE 23.8% vs 2.3%; gross margin 35.8% vs 35.9%; operating margin 13.5% vs 13.3% — CRH takes 2 of 3 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | Even | Value 41 vs 44 |
| Technicals | JHX | Price vs 50-day -3% vs -4.9%; vs 200-day -19.4% vs 9.4% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 60 vs 58 |
| Analyst expectations | CRH | Target upside 48.5% vs 22.8% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of CRH and JHX and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 3 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Signal direction runs against the verdict: the leader is net-bearish while the laggard is net-bullish. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on CRH.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20CRH lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 3 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- CRH +3
- 51 vs 48
- 7 sessions ago
- CRH +2
- 47 vs 45
- 30 sessions ago
- CRH +6
- 46 vs 40
- 90 sessions ago
- JHX +6
- 45 vs 51
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Sep 15 when CRH moved ahead of JHX.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only CRH
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (19.20%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral
Only JHX
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (14.44%)
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, MACD Bullish Crossover.
CRH leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.95%, AIQ +2 points).
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -0.57%, AIQ +1 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1JHX closes the Quality gap — currently 20 points behind, the largest single contributor to CRH's edge.
- 2JHX's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3CRH's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 3 points over 30 sessions, and a further 3-point move would eliminate CRH's advantage entirely.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
CRH leads on balance| Metric | CRH | JHX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 46.2% | 5% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 9.2% | 266.6% |
| Gross margin | 35.8% | 35.9% |
| Operating margin | 13.5% | 13.3% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 23.8% | 2.3% |
| Debt to equity | 0.82 | 0.69 |
Performance
JHX leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | CRH | JHX |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 6.3% | 7.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -3.2% | -3.3% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -14.8% | 6.7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -27.4% | 19.8% |
| Year to date | -31.7% | 27.5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -27.1% | 21.9% |
Technicals
JHX has the stronger structure| Metric | CRH | JHX |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 58 | 60.4 |
| ADX (14) | 32 | 25.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | -3% | -4.9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -19.4% | 9.4% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 28% | 33.7% |
Risk
Split| Metric | CRH | JHX |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.31 | 1.72 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.96 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.68 | 1.04 |
| Max drawdown | -39.7% | -32.4% |
| Current drawdown | -35.1% | -14.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 32.3% | 44.9% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.5% | -4.1% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, CRH or JHX?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, CRH is the stronger of the two as of Oct 22, 2026, scoring 51 against JHX's 48. The edge comes from quality. JHX is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is CRH or JHX the better buy right now?
CRH carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 22, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 2 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 3 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor CRH over JHX?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. CRH leads Quality by 20 points; JHX leads Momentum by 7 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, CRH or JHX?
Analyst price targets imply +48.5% upside for CRH and +22.8% for JHX, so the Street currently favors CRH. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, CRH or JHX?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, CRH or JHX?
JHX on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, CRH or JHX?
JHX on the Momentum factor, by 7 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, CRH or JHX?
CRH is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. CRH carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is CRH more profitable than JHX?
CRH leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 35.8% vs 35.9%; operating margin 13.5% vs 13.3%; ttm roe 23.8% vs 2.3%.
Is CRH's lead over JHX getting stronger or weaker?
CRH lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 6 to 3 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 2 times in that window, most recently on 2026-09-15, when CRH moved ahead of JHX.
What would change the CRH vs JHX verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: JHX closes the Quality gap — currently 20 points behind, the largest single contributor to CRH's edge; JHX's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; CRH's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 3 points over 30 sessions, and a further 3-point move would eliminate CRH's advantage entirely.
What do the current signals say about CRH and JHX?
CRH: 1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. JHX: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on CRH is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On JHX it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare CRH and JHX with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.