Mizuho Securities USA LLC Acquires 5,980 Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC boosted its stake in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 44.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,437 shares of the construction company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,980 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in PulteGroup were worth $2,117,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 74.1% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 322 shares of the construction company's stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 41.9% during the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 444 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. raised its position in shares of PulteGroup by 642.2% during the 4th quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 475 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 411 shares in the last quarter. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of NYSE PHM traded down $3.28 on Friday, hitting $101.76. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,412,997 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,950,285. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $107.89 and a 200-day moving average of $121.60. The company has a market capitalization of $20.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.71. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 12-month low of $100.35 and a 12-month high of $149.47.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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, research analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 EPS for the current year.

PulteGroup declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Thursday, January 30th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to reacquire up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be issued 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 is Tuesday, March 18th. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is presently 5.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other PulteGroup news, Director Brian P. Anderson sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $266,125.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 56,617 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,026,879.65. This trade represents a 4.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,191 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,758 shares in the company, valued at $7,961,727. This represents a 16.89 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,191 shares of company stock worth $2,256,367 over the last ninety days. 0.83% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PHM has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group boosted their price target on PulteGroup from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 31st. StockNews.com cut PulteGroup from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Barclays dropped their price target on PulteGroup from $125.00 to $117.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America decreased their price target on PulteGroup from $135.00 to $134.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on PulteGroup from $140.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, PulteGroup presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.