Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV) Shares Up 4.9%

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV - Get Free Report) rose 4.9% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $136.99 and last traded at $134.76. Approximately 15,910 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 81% from the average daily volume of 81,753 shares. The stock had previously closed at $128.50.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HOV has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com downgraded Hovnanian Enterprises from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Sunday, March 3rd. TheStreet upgraded Hovnanian Enterprises from a "c+" rating to a "b-" rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Zelman & Associates restated an "underperform" rating on shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in a research report on Friday, April 12th.

Hovnanian Enterprises Stock Up 0.4 %

The firm has a market cap of $787.08 million, a PE ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 2.61. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $149.78 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $129.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 4.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19.

Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The construction company reported $2.75 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $594.20 million for the quarter. Hovnanian Enterprises had a return on equity of 58.22% and a net margin of 7.45%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Ara K. Hovnanian sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $157,820.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 51,475 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,123,784.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 17.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Hovnanian Enterprises

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Swiss National Bank boosted its position in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 11,900 shares of the construction company's stock worth $703,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 34,255 shares of the construction company's stock worth $2,024,000 after purchasing an additional 1,496 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Hovnanian Enterprises by 189.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 29,080 shares of the construction company's stock worth $1,865,000 after acquiring an additional 19,020 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Hovnanian Enterprises by 58.5% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 3,048 shares of the construction company's stock worth $180,000 after acquiring an additional 1,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Hovnanian Enterprises by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,777 shares of the construction company's stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares during the last quarter. 65.40% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Hovnanian Enterprises

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc, through its subsidiaries, designs, constructs, markets, and sells residential homes in the United States. It offers single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes with amenities, such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, tot lots, and open areas.