JPMorgan Chase & Co. Boosts Stake in Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS) by 22.8% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 253,969 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,171 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s holdings in Century Communities were worth $18,631,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Century Communities by 336.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 738 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $54,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV raised its stake in Century Communities by 44.3% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,313 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Century Communities during the fourth quarter valued at $142,000. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in Century Communities by 27.7% during the fourth quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 2,122 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 460 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc purchased a new position in shares of Century Communities in the 4th quarter worth $211,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.54% of the company’s stock.

Century Communities Stock Performance

Century Communities stock opened at $59.28 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.70 and a beta of 1.76. Century Communities, Inc. has a 1-year low of $55.85 and a 1-year high of $108.42. The company’s 50-day moving average is $69.45 and its 200 day moving average is $80.13.

Century Communities (NYSE:CCS) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The construction company reported $3.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $0.33. Century Communities had a return on equity of 14.17% and a net margin of 7.59%. Research analysts forecast that Century Communities, Inc. will post 11.07 EPS for the current year.

Century Communities Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 26th were issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is a positive change from Century Communities’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 26th. This represents a $1.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.96%. Century Communities’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 11.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on CCS shares. Wedbush reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $93.00 price target (down previously from $96.00) on shares of Century Communities in a report on Thursday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Century Communities from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $110.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Zelman & Associates raised Century Communities to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $103.00.

Century Communities Profile

Century Communities, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, construction, marketing, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes. It is also involved in the entitlement and development of the underlying land; and provision of mortgage, title, and insurance services to its homebuyers.