Vest Financial LLC Raises Stock Holdings in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Vest Financial LLC raised its position in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 111.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 22,159 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 11,682 shares during the period. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $2,413,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Logan Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 67.7% in the third quarter. Logan Capital Management Inc. now owns 14,797 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,124,000 after purchasing an additional 5,976 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 38.1% in the 3rd quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 121,299 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $17,410,000 after buying an additional 33,472 shares during the last quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 39.8% in the 3rd quarter. Trustmark National Bank Trust Department now owns 39,589 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $5,682,000 after buying an additional 11,269 shares during the last quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 3.9% during the third quarter. Systematic Financial Management LP now owns 130,257 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $18,696,000 after buying an additional 4,840 shares during the period. Finally, New Millennium Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 10,625.8% during the third quarter. New Millennium Group LLC now owns 9,546 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,370,000 after acquiring an additional 9,457 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup Stock Down 3.8 %

PHM stock opened at $105.85 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $115.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $126.88. The company has a market cap of $21.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.68. PulteGroup, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $100.24 and a fifty-two week high of $149.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.86.

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

PulteGroup announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Thursday, January 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to buy up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.98%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on PHM shares. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $198.00 to $195.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com downgraded PulteGroup from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Citigroup dropped their price target on PulteGroup from $146.00 to $119.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, BTIG Research raised their price objective on PulteGroup from $139.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, PulteGroup has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.86.

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.