PulteGroup, Inc. $PHM Shares Bought by National Pension Service

National Pension Service boosted its holdings in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 3.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 507,443 shares of the construction company’s stock after buying an additional 18,455 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $59,503,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHM. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. High Point Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth approximately $41,000. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In related news, Director Lila Snyder sold 3,339 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $117.18, for a total transaction of $391,264.02. Following the sale, the director directly owned 3,540 shares in the company, valued at $414,817.20. This trade represents a 48.54% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, COO Matthew William Koart sold 7,457 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $894,840.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 28,100 shares in the company, valued at $3,372,000. This represents a 20.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 0.75% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of PHM opened at $118.38 on Friday. PulteGroup, Inc. has a twelve month low of $95.20 and a twelve month high of $144.49. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $119.03 and its 200-day simple moving average is $124.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.45, a PEG ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.01). PulteGroup had a net margin of 12.14% and a return on equity of 16.41%. The firm had revenue of $3.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.40 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $2.57 earnings per share. PulteGroup’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 10 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, April 23rd that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to purchase up to 6.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 16th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.06%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on PHM shares. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $159.00 to $162.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $133.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of PulteGroup from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $149.00 to $131.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $132.00 to $140.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 24th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PulteGroup has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.71.

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.