James Hardie Industries plc (ASX: $JHX) has reported a 4% increase in net sales and a higher gross margin in the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2025. The company, a world leader in the manufacturing of fiber cement building solutions, achieved a solid start to the fiscal year with a focus on delivering high-quality products and services to its value chain participants. The 1st quarter financial highlights include a 4% increase in net sales primarily due to higher average net sales price in all three regions, and a 0.9 percentage points increase in gross margin driven by improvements in North America and Europe, partially offset by a decrease in Asia Pacific.
We achieved a solid start to the fiscal year, enabled by the teams' focus on safely delivering the highest quality products, solutions and services to all participants in our value chain. We are executing our strategy, delivering on our commitments and managing decisively as we continue to scale the organization and invest to profitably grow our business. We are homeowner focused, customer and contractor driven, providing the entire value chain with world class products and services.
In the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2025, James Hardie (ASX: $JHX) reported a 4% increase in net sales primarily due to higher average net sales price in all three regions. The company also achieved a higher gross margin driven by improvements in North America and Europe, partially offset by a decrease in Asia Pacific. Looking ahead, James Hardie anticipates total capital expenditures of approximately US$500 million to US$550 million in fiscal year 2025, as it continues to invest in organic growth and expand its production capacity. The company's focus remains on delivering high-quality products and services while managing its capital allocation to support its long-term strategic goals.