Stephens Inc. AR Sells 22,210 Shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Stephens Inc. AR lessened its stake in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 85.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,679 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 22,210 shares during the quarter. Stephens Inc. AR's holdings in PulteGroup were worth $401,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Entropy Technologies LP acquired a new stake in PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,299,000. Vest Financial LLC grew its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 111.5% during the 4th quarter. Vest Financial LLC now owns 22,159 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,413,000 after acquiring an additional 11,682 shares in the last quarter. NatWest Group plc raised its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. NatWest Group plc now owns 62,547 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $6,811,000 after purchasing an additional 525 shares during the last quarter. Generate Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of PulteGroup by 13.2% in the fourth quarter. Generate Investment Management Ltd now owns 113,497 shares of the construction company's stock worth $12,360,000 after purchasing an additional 13,203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the fourth quarter worth $2,257,000. Institutional investors own 89.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PHM has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of PulteGroup from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Barclays lowered their target price on PulteGroup from $125.00 to $117.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America reduced their price target on PulteGroup from $135.00 to $134.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on PulteGroup from $162.00 to $155.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on PulteGroup from $148.00 to $151.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $140.86.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Brien P. O'meara sold 3,500 shares of the company'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 transaction, the vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,209,980.80. This represents a 23.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Brian P. Anderson sold 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.45, for a total transaction of $266,125.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 56,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,026,879.65. This represents a 4.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,191 shares of company stock worth $2,256,367 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PHM traded down $0.79 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $104.81. 1,633,084 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,220,921. PulteGroup, Inc. has a twelve month low of $100.24 and a twelve month high of $149.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $21.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.68. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $111.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $125.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.22. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 24.43% and a net margin of 17.18%. As a group, research analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is 5.98%.

PulteGroup announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Thursday, January 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the construction company to reacquire up to 6.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.