Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. Sells 41,123 Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lowered its holdings in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 64.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,015 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 41,123 shares during the period. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.'s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $2,509,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Morse Asset Management Inc grew its position in PulteGroup by 26.2% during the third quarter. Morse Asset Management Inc now owns 9,735 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,397,000 after buying an additional 2,020 shares in the last quarter. Aldebaran Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 99.1% during the 3rd quarter. Aldebaran Financial Inc. now owns 5,365 shares of the construction company's stock worth $770,000 after purchasing an additional 2,670 shares in the last quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 3rd quarter worth $234,000. World Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 21.8% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 9,515 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,366,000 after purchasing an additional 1,706 shares during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in PulteGroup in the third quarter valued at about $732,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the company's stock.

PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PHM opened at $101.98 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 52 week low of $88.07 and a 52 week high of $149.47. The firm has a market cap of $20.65 billion, a PE ratio of 6.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.44. The firm's fifty day moving average is $101.37 and its 200-day moving average is $114.81.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.47 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $3.89 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.86 billion. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 24.43% and a net margin of 17.18%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $3.10 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan 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 plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 18th. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.21%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In other PulteGroup news, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,191 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.50, for a total transaction of $1,617,841.50. Following the completion of the sale, 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, VP Brien P. O'meara sold 3,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.40, for a total value of $372,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at $1,209,980.80. This represents a 23.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,191 shares of company stock valued at $2,256,367. 0.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on PHM shares. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $140.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $135.00 to $134.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. Seaport Res Ptn raised PulteGroup from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Barclays lowered their price target on PulteGroup from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group reduced their price objective on PulteGroup from $151.00 to $141.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, PulteGroup has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $134.69.

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.

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