PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) Shares Sold by Axa S.A.

AXA S.A. decreased its position in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 20.6% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,552 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 11,582 shares during the quarter. AXA S.A.'s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $4,852,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PHM. Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its position in PulteGroup by 74.1% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 322 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 137 shares in the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. boosted its position in PulteGroup by 43.0% during the 4th quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 349 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter worth $43,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company's stock.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PHM traded up $2.56 during trading on Monday, hitting $105.03. 409,779 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,992,377. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $101.13 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $111.92. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 52-week low of $88.07 and a 52-week high of $149.47. The company has a market cap of $21.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.37. 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 Tuesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.10. PulteGroup had a net margin of 17.18% and a return on equity of 24.43%. The business had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.10 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 EPS for the current year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 17th will be given a dividend of $0.22 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 17th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.84%. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is currently 6.21%.

PulteGroup declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, January 30th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the construction company to buy up to 6.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on PHM. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $116.00 to $109.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Oppenheimer decreased their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $165.00 to $150.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Bank of America cut their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $135.00 to $134.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 27th. Wedbush reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on PulteGroup from $140.00 to $124.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $134.69.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In other news, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,191 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.50, for a total value of $1,617,841.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,758 shares in the company, valued at $7,961,727. This trade represents a 16.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 stock was sold at an average price of $106.40, for a total transaction of $372,400.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 11,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,209,980.80. This represents a 23.53% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About PulteGroup

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.