JT Stratford LLC Sells 4,341 Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. $PHM

JT Stratford LLC lessened its stake in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 41.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,103 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 4,341 shares during the period. JT Stratford LLC’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $806,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in PHM. Franklin Resources Inc. grew its position in PulteGroup by 0.8% in the second quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,290,631 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,296,170,000 after acquiring an additional 95,058 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in PulteGroup during the second quarter worth about $404,339,000. First Trust Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 27.2% in the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,199,906 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $337,462,000 after purchasing an additional 683,728 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,634,275 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $277,811,000 after purchasing an additional 23,051 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new position in PulteGroup during the third quarter valued at approximately $315,883,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting PulteGroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Truist initiated coverage and upgraded PulteGroup to a strong-buy / buy with a $170 price target, signaling institutional bullishness and suggesting ~30% upside from current levels — this can attract investors and support the stock. PulteGroup (PHM) Has a New Rating from Truist Financial
• Positive Sentiment: PulteGroup signed a new builder relationship with The St. Joe Company to develop homesites in two gated communities in Northwest Florida — adds near-term sales visibility and community-level inventory for PHM. The St. Joe Company Announces New Builder Relationship With National Home Builder PulteGroup
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: nearly 10k call contracts traded (roughly a 1,498% jump vs. typical volume), indicating short-term bullish positioning by some options traders and potential catalyst-driven speculation.
• Negative Sentiment: Industry pressure from rising mortgage rates and softer demand: a Barron’s piece highlights that higher rates and falling pending/closed sales are pressuring builder stocks broadly — a macro headwind that can weigh on PHM’s near-term sales and margins. Higher Mortgage Rates, Fewer Sales Hit Builder Stocks. The Next Few Weeks Will Be Crucial.
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: coverage notes and market reports point out that PHM pulled back more than the broader market in the latest session, reflecting investor caution amid the macro backdrop and near-term data. PulteGroup (PHM) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know

PulteGroup Trading Down 2.1%

PHM opened at $129.44 on Friday. PulteGroup, Inc. has a one year low of $88.07 and a one year high of $144.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $130.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $127.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.64, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 1.32.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be given a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. PulteGroup’s payout ratio is presently 9.35%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. BTIG Research initiated coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Monday, December 1st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $145.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on PulteGroup in a research note on Wednesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $170.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on PulteGroup from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Evercore lifted their price target on PulteGroup from $134.00 to $143.00 in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $142.71.

Insider Transactions at PulteGroup

In related news, COO Matthew William Koart sold 15,309 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.79, for a total transaction of $2,078,809.11. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 42,418 shares in the company, valued at $5,759,940.22. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 14,220 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.01, for a total transaction of $1,919,842.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 69,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,417,352.53. The trade was a 16.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 149,952 shares of company stock worth $20,162,165. 0.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About PulteGroup

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.