Meritage Homes Q1 EPS Forecast Increased by Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised its Q1 EPS estimate for Meritage to $1.52 (from $1.42) and models FY2028 EPS at $8.15, while the consensus full‑year estimate sits at $9.44 per share.
• Meritage last reported EPS of $1.67 (beating estimates) but missed on revenue ($1.44B vs. $1.51B) with revenue down 11.9% year‑over‑year; the stock trades near $66.33 with a market cap of $4.42B and a P/E of 10.5.
• Insiders have been net sellers (47,622 shares worth about $3.64M over 90 days, including sales by the EVP and CEO), even as the company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.48 (annualized $1.92, ~2.9% yield).

Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH - Free Report) - Zacks Research increased their Q1 2028 EPS estimates for Meritage Homes in a research note issued to investors on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the construction company will post earnings of $1.52 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.42. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes' current full-year earnings is $9.44 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes' FY2028 earnings at $8.15 EPS.

MTH has been the subject of several other research reports. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a "market outperform" rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Bank of America reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $82.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Friday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $90.00 price target on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Meritage Homes from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $84.33.

Meritage Homes Stock Performance

Shares of MTH opened at $66.33 on Tuesday. Meritage Homes has a 1 year low of $58.03 and a 1 year high of $84.74. The company has a market cap of $4.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a current ratio of 2.10. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $69.04 and a 200-day moving average of $69.69.

Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.55 by $0.12. Meritage Homes had a net margin of 7.73% and a return on equity of 9.28%. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $4.72 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Institutional Trading of Meritage Homes

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Meritage Homes in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,731,000. Lodge Hill Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Meritage Homes in the 3rd quarter valued at about $21,729,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Meritage Homes by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 402,664 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $29,165,000 after acquiring an additional 46,554 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in Meritage Homes by 90.1% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 119,754 shares of the construction company's stock valued at $8,804,000 after acquiring an additional 56,746 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Meritage Homes in the 3rd quarter valued at about $37,477,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.44% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Javier Feliciano sold 3,580 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $76.24, for a total value of $272,939.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 44,935 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,425,844.40. This represents a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 32,820 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.49, for a total transaction of $2,510,401.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 260,389 shares of the company's stock, valued at $19,917,154.61. The trade was a 11.19% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 47,622 shares of company stock valued at $3,640,273 over the last 90 days. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Meritage Homes Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This is an increase from Meritage Homes's previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.9%. Meritage Homes's dividend payout ratio is currently 30.38%.

About Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation is a national homebuilder and residential developer headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1985 as Winchester Homes and later rebranded to Meritage Homes, the company specializes in designing, constructing and selling single‐family detached and attached homes. With a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, Meritage Homes markets its properties under the GreenSmart program, which integrates high‐performance features aimed at reducing long‐term energy and water consumption for homebuyers.

The company's core activities encompass land acquisition, residential community planning, home design, construction management and real estate sales.

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