PulteGroup Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 9,941 call options on the company. This represents an increase of 1,498% compared to the average volume of 622 call options.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PulteGroup

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. WPG Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Ameriflex Group Inc. bought a new stake in PulteGroup in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. raised its holdings in PulteGroup by 43.0% in the fourth quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 349 shares of the construction company's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the period. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 4th quarter valued at $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $151.00 to $141.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Evercore ISI raised their price target on PulteGroup from $161.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Barclays cut their price objective on PulteGroup from $100.00 to $98.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on PulteGroup from $140.00 to $120.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 14th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised PulteGroup from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, March 6th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, PulteGroup presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $134.69.

PulteGroup Trading Down 2.1%

Shares of PHM traded down $2.20 on Friday, reaching $101.95. 548,746 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,142,678. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $99.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $107.34. PulteGroup has a 12 month low of $88.07 and a 12 month high of $149.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $2.57 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.47 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $3.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.86 billion. PulteGroup had a net margin of 17.18% and a return on equity of 24.43%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $3.10 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 17th will be issued a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 17th. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.21%.

PulteGroup Company Profile

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.