Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS) Given Average Rating of "Hold" by Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: Hold — Seven brokerages give Century Communities an average "Hold" rating (2 sell, 2 hold, 3 buy) with a 12‑month average target price of $74.75.
• Major insider sale: Chairman Dale Francescon sold 100,100 shares at about $72.44 (~$7.25M), cutting his position by 15.13%; insiders now own 11.9% of the stock.
• Recent financials and payout: Q4 results beat expectations (EPS $1.59 vs. $1.39; revenue $1.23B vs. $1.04B), and the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.32 (annual $1.28, ~2.1% yield); market cap ~$1.79B and P/E ~12.7.

Century Communities, Inc. (NYSE:CCS - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Hold" by the seven brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have assigned a hold recommendation and three have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $74.75.

A number of research firms have commented on CCS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Century Communities from $56.00 to $49.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Century Communities in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup assumed coverage on shares of Century Communities in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. They issued an "outperform" rating on the stock. Zacks Research cut shares of Century Communities from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, B. Riley Financial reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Century Communities in a research note on Thursday, January 29th.

Insider Activity at Century Communities

In other news, Chairman Dale Francescon sold 100,100 shares of Century Communities stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.44, for a total value of $7,251,244.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 561,662 shares in the company, valued at approximately $40,686,795.28. This trade represents a 15.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 11.90% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Century Communities

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Century Communities by 207.6% in the fourth quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 609 shares of the construction company's stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares during the period. Traub Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Century Communities during the second quarter worth $39,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Century Communities by 175.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 730 shares of the construction company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Century Communities in the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in shares of Century Communities by 1,513.3% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,210 shares of the construction company's stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 1,135 shares during the last quarter. 99.54% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Century Communities Price Performance

CCS stock opened at $61.48 on Friday. The stock's 50 day moving average is $66.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $63.94. Century Communities has a 52-week low of $50.42 and a 52-week high of $76.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.79 billion, a PE ratio of 12.65 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

Century Communities (NYSE:CCS - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.20. The company had revenue of $1.23 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.04 billion. Century Communities had a return on equity of 6.87% and a net margin of 3.58%.The business's revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $3.54 EPS. Analysts predict that Century Communities will post 11.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Century Communities Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Century Communities's previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Century Communities's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.34%.

About Century Communities

Century Communities, Inc is a national homebuilder and land developer headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The company is engaged in the acquisition, development, construction and sale of single- and multi-family residential homes, offering a range of floor plans and design options to homebuyers. In addition to its core homebuilding activities, Century Communities provides ancillary services such as mortgage financing, title and closing services, and insurance products through its wholly owned subsidiaries, aiming to deliver a comprehensive homebuying experience.

Founded in 2009, Century Communities rapidly expanded through both organic growth and strategic land acquisitions, positioning itself in high-growth markets across the United States.

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