Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV) Short Interest Down 5.7% in December

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decrease in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 193,500 shares, a decrease of 5.7% from the November 30th total of 205,100 shares. Currently, 4.4% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 78,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.5 days.

Insider Activity at Hovnanian Enterprises

In other news, CEO Ara K. Hovnanian sold 644 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.99, for a total transaction of $125,573.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 45,635 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,898,368.65. This represents a 1.39 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Edward A. Kangas sold 1,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $188.86, for a total transaction of $283,290.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 13,290 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,509,949.40. This represents a 10.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 17.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hovnanian Enterprises

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of HOV. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. FMR LLC increased its position in Hovnanian Enterprises by 20.6% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 346 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $71,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises by 89.6% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 749 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $153,000 after acquiring an additional 354 shares during the last quarter. Creative Planning acquired a new position in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises during the third quarter worth $202,000. Finally, B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in the third quarter worth $205,000. 65.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $155.00 price target on shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in a report on Monday, December 16th.

Hovnanian Enterprises Price Performance

Shares of HOV traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $133.82. The stock had a trading volume of 60,520 shares, compared to its average volume of 76,872. The stock has a market capitalization of $809.61 million, a PE ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 2.62. Hovnanian Enterprises has a 12 month low of $125.63 and a 12 month high of $240.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.45. The company's 50-day moving average is $168.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.44.

About Hovnanian Enterprises

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc, through its subsidiaries, designs, constructs, markets, and sells residential homes in the United States. It offers single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes with amenities, such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, tot lots, and open areas.