Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. Lowers Holdings in PulteGroup, Inc. $PHM

Key Points

• Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group reduced its stake in PulteGroup (PHM) by 5.7% in Q4, selling 30,761 shares and ending the period with 510,164 shares worth about $59.8 million (0.26% of the company).
• Corporate insiders have sold a total of 149,952 shares (~$20.16 million) in the past 90 days, reducing insider ownership to 0.75%, while institutional ownership remains very high at 89.90%.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but positive on balance: the consensus is a “Moderate Buy” with an average target of $140.21, including an Evercore upgrade to Outperform ($146) and a Goldman Sachs cut to $133.00.

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. decreased its holdings in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Free Report) by 5.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 510,164 shares of the construction company's stock after selling 30,761 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. owned 0.26% of PulteGroup worth $59,822,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PHM. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its position in shares of PulteGroup by 5.0% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 12,900,271 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $1,704,513,000 after buying an additional 609,640 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in PulteGroup by 13.3% in the 3rd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,623,917 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $478,828,000 after acquiring an additional 424,011 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in PulteGroup in the 3rd quarter valued at $315,883,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in PulteGroup by 13.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,755,241 shares of the construction company's stock worth $185,108,000 after purchasing an additional 202,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 120.4% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 1,703,049 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $225,024,000 after purchasing an additional 930,287 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company's stock.

PulteGroup Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of PHM stock opened at $122.69 on Wednesday. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 1 year low of $91.76 and a 1 year high of $144.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $127.26 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $125.03. The company has a market cap of $23.51 billion, a PE ratio of 11.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 1.33.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 17th. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is presently 9.35%.

Insider Activity at PulteGroup

In related news, COO Matthew William Koart sold 15,309 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.79, for a total value of $2,078,809.11. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 42,418 shares in the company, valued at $5,759,940.22. This trade represents a 26.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Ryan Marshall sold 111,250 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.86, for a total transaction of $14,891,925.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 659,392 shares of the company's stock, valued at $88,266,213.12. The trade was a 14.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 149,952 shares of company stock worth $20,162,165 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on PHM. Weiss Ratings upgraded PulteGroup from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Thursday, March 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on PulteGroup from $150.00 to $133.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Zacks Research cut shares of PulteGroup from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $149.00 price target (up from $140.00) on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Friday, January 30th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $140.21.

Key PulteGroup News

Here are the key news stories impacting PulteGroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Evercore ISI upgraded PHM to Outperform and set a $146 price target (roughly +19% upside from recent levels), citing a historic buy signal for homebuilders — a clear catalyst lifting sentiment and trading interest. Evercore ISI upgrades PulteGroup (PHM)
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage and headlines from multiple outlets (247WallStreet, Investing.com) amplified the Evercore call, driving buying pressure across homebuilder names including PHM. Evercore upgrade coverage
• Positive Sentiment: PulteGroup announced expansion of housing development activity (Russell 1000 coverage note), supporting growth visibility and reinforcing the upgrade-driven optimism among investors. PulteGroup expands housing development
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and retail commentary questions valuation after a multi-year run (Is it too late to consider PHM?), providing balanced views that may temper further upside until fundamentals confirm continued strength. Is It Too Late To Consider PulteGroup (PHM)?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks and other outlets flagged PHM as a trending/actively watched stock, increasing attention and volume but not adding new company-specific fundamentals. Short-term volatility could rise as traders react to analyst notes. Zacks trending stock note
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs trimmed its price target on PHM to $133, signaling some analyst caution and limiting upside from the current level — this acts as a counterweight to Evercore’s bullish call. Goldman Sachs cuts price target

About PulteGroup

PulteGroup, Inc NYSE: PHM is a U.S.-based residential homebuilder that designs, constructs and sells single-family homes and develops master-planned communities. The company operates multiple national and regional brands that target different buyer segments, including first-time buyers, move-up buyers and active-adult customers. Its operations encompass land acquisition and development, home design and construction, community amenities and ongoing customer service and warranty programs.

PulteGroup markets homes under several well-known brands, such as Pulte Homes, Centex and Del Webb, among others, offering a range of product types from entry-level detached homes to larger, higher-end residences and age-restricted active-adult communities.

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