PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the seventeen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $140.86.

PHM has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $139.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price target on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com lowered PulteGroup from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on PulteGroup from $162.00 to $155.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 13th.

PulteGroup Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of PHM opened at $106.01 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $21.74 billion, a PE ratio of 7.21, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The company’s fifty day moving average is $113.91 and its two-hundred day moving average is $126.63. PulteGroup has a fifty-two week low of $100.24 and a fifty-two week high of $149.47.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.22. PulteGroup had a net margin of 17.18% and a return on equity of 24.43%. Analysts forecast that PulteGroup will post 12.43 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.83%. PulteGroup’s payout ratio is currently 5.98%.

PulteGroup declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, January 30th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at PulteGroup

In other news, Director Brian P. Anderson sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $266,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 56,617 shares in the company, valued at $6,026,879.65. The trade was a 4.23 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.83% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of PulteGroup

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its position in PulteGroup by 115.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 185 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Transcendent Capital Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new position in PulteGroup in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in PulteGroup during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, JNBA Financial Advisors bought a new position in PulteGroup during the third quarter valued at approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup Company Profile

PulteGroup, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, and American West brand names.