PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) Upgraded by Wall Street Zen to Hold Rating

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note released on Sunday.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on the company. Citizens Jmp began coverage on PulteGroup in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $111.00 price target on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Friday. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $150.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Bank of America reduced their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $135.92.

PulteGroup Stock Up 7.3%

Shares of NYSE PHM opened at $132.19 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $25.77 billion, a PE ratio of 10.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $121.58 and a 200-day moving average of $122.90. PulteGroup has a 52-week low of $88.07 and a 52-week high of $142.11.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The construction company reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.10. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 14.93%.The firm had revenue of $4.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.35 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.32 EPS for the current year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 16th. This is an increase from PulteGroup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio is currently 8.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PHM. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in PulteGroup by 2,576.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 237,576 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $27,858,000 after purchasing an additional 228,699 shares in the last quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC boosted its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 33.2% during the 4th quarter. Dynamic Advisor Solutions LLC now owns 3,594 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $421,000 after buying an additional 895 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the fourth quarter worth approximately $773,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 7.7% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 53,630 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $6,670,000 after buying an additional 3,857 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its holdings in PulteGroup by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 133,863 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $16,045,000 after acquiring an additional 3,391 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

Key PulteGroup News

Here are the key news stories impacting PulteGroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citizens initiated coverage of PulteGroup with a Market Outperform (buy) recommendation, a clear upside catalyst that can attract investor inflows. Citizens Jmp Begins Coverage on PulteGroup
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call-option activity: nearly 10k calls traded (a ~1,498% jump over normal), indicating speculative or hedged bullish bets that likely pushed intraday buying and implied-volatility interest. Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on PulteGroup
• Positive Sentiment: Media pieces highlighting strong multi?year returns (investors up ~198% over five years) and Wall Street optimism provide supportive sentiment for longer-term holders and momentum buyers. Those who invested in PulteGroup five years ago are up 198% Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About PulteGroup
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry teardown and “why it’s trading” pieces provide context and may draw retail/institutional attention, but offer mixed, non?actionable takeaways. Home Builders Stocks Q3 Teardown: PulteGroup Vs The Rest Why PulteGroup Stock Is Trading Up Today
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup reduced its price target from $135 to $128 and set a Neutral rating — a formal signal that could cap upside for some investors and weigh on near-term sentiment. Citigroup Lowers Price Target on PulteGroup
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered expectations for PHM as well, adding downward analyst pressure that could prompt profit-taking after recent gains. Wells Fargo Lowers Expectations for PulteGroup

PulteGroup Company Profile

PulteGroup, Inc (NYSE: PHM) is a U.S.-based residential homebuilder that designs, constructs and sells single-family homes and develops master-planned communities. The company operates multiple national and regional brands that target different buyer segments, including first-time buyers, move-up buyers and active-adult customers. Its operations encompass land acquisition and development, home design and construction, community amenities and ongoing customer service and warranty programs.

PulteGroup markets homes under several well-known brands, such as Pulte Homes, Centex and Del Webb, among others, offering a range of product types from entry-level detached homes to larger, higher-end residences and age-restricted active-adult communities.