Stock Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Traders bought 9,941 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 1,498% compared to the typical volume of 622 call options.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group raised their price target on PulteGroup from $148.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. BTIG Research lifted their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $139.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Wolfe Research lowered shares of PulteGroup from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 14th. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $138.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, PulteGroup presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $145.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PulteGroup

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PHM. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in PulteGroup by 5.5% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 11,254,274 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,647,364,000 after purchasing an additional 585,735 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its position in shares of PulteGroup by 102.3% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 9,040,828 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,297,630,000 after buying an additional 4,571,757 shares during the last quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 0.3% during the third quarter. Greenhaven Associates Inc. now owns 5,593,179 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $802,789,000 after buying an additional 16,871 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 8.6% during the second quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,968,788 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $326,864,000 after acquiring an additional 235,826 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in PulteGroup by 7.8% in the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,864,040 shares of the construction company's stock worth $267,546,000 after acquiring an additional 135,391 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company's stock.

PulteGroup Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE PHM traded up $0.93 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $136.53. The company had a trading volume of 1,271,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,829,449. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $136.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $126.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. PulteGroup has a one year low of $86.59 and a one year high of $149.47. The stock has a market cap of $28.00 billion, a PE ratio of 10.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.63.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 22nd. The construction company reported $3.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.25. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 25.30% and a net margin of 16.64%. The firm had revenue of $4.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.90 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 17th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 17th. This is a positive change from PulteGroup's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.49%.

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.