PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) Stock Position Raised by AIA Group Ltd

AIA Group Ltd boosted its stake in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 100.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,612 shares of the construction company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,814 shares during the quarter. AIA Group Ltd's holdings in PulteGroup were worth $611,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 622 shares of the construction company's stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in PulteGroup by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,572 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $280,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Meridian Wealth Management LLC grew its position in PulteGroup by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,224 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,440,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 2.4% during the fourth quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 4,384 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $479,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital boosted its position in shares of PulteGroup by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 3,050 shares of the construction company's stock worth $328,000 after buying an additional 110 shares during the period. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of PHM traded up $3.30 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $101.05. 3,953,718 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,964,526. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. PulteGroup, Inc. has a one year low of $95.14 and a one year high of $149.47. The company has a market capitalization of $20.46 billion, a PE ratio of 6.87, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.44. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $106.12 and a 200-day simple moving average of $120.07.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping 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, sell-side analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, January 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to purchase up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th were given a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 18th. PulteGroup's payout ratio is 5.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In related news, Director Brian P. Anderson sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total value of $266,125.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 56,617 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,026,879.65. This represents a 4.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,191 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.50, for a total value of $1,617,841.50. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,758 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,961,727. This trade represents a 16.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,191 shares of company stock valued at $2,256,367 in the last three months. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently commented on PHM. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on PulteGroup from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays lowered their price target on PulteGroup from $125.00 to $117.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $146.00 to $119.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of PulteGroup from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 6th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of PulteGroup from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price 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.