Vest Financial LLC Has $54.89 Million Position in PulteGroup, Inc. $PHM

Vest Financial LLC grew its position in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 13.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 415,405 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 50,088 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC owned approximately 0.21% of PulteGroup worth $54,887,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHM. Focus Partners Wealth grew its position in PulteGroup by 20.5% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 12,517 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $1,287,000 after purchasing an additional 2,128 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 49,869 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $5,454,000 after purchasing an additional 1,497 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC lifted its position in PulteGroup by 262.1% in the 2nd quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 11,085 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,169,000 after buying an additional 8,024 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 83.8% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 6,303 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $665,000 after buying an additional 2,873 shares during the period. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its position in PulteGroup by 17.1% in the second quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 6,881 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup Trading Down 2.6%

NYSE:PHM opened at $126.81 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $123.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $124.05. The company has a market capitalization of $24.72 billion, a PE ratio of 9.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.33. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 52-week low of $88.07 and a 52-week high of $142.11. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

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

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on PHM. Wall Street Zen upgraded PulteGroup from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $150.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. Barclays set a $115.00 price target on PulteGroup in a research note on Monday, December 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $144.00 target price on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on PulteGroup from $154.00 to $134.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $138.85.

PulteGroup 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.