PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) Short Interest Up 24.4% in December

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totaling 7,747,067 shares, a growth of 24.4% from the November 30th total of 6,225,580 shares. Approximately 4.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 1,497,827 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 1,497,827 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 5.2 days. Approximately 4.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

PulteGroup Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of PHM stock traded down $0.84 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $117.29. 984,237 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,733,767. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.03, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.31. PulteGroup has a one year low of $88.07 and a one year high of $142.11. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $121.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $121.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 0.81.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The construction company reported $2.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $4.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 14.93%.PulteGroup’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.35 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that PulteGroup will post 12.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. This is a boost from PulteGroup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 16th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.01%.

Institutional Trading of PulteGroup

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. WPG Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 1st quarter valued at about $25,000. Evergreen Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the first quarter worth about $288,000. Vident Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in PulteGroup by 45.6% in the first quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 23,181 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $2,383,000 after acquiring an additional 7,265 shares during the last quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in PulteGroup by 670.8% in the first quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 6,390 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $657,000 after acquiring an additional 5,561 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP grew its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 43.8% during the first quarter. Quarry LP now owns 571 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $59,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently weighed in on PHM. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Monday, December 1st. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded PulteGroup from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday. Citigroup lifted their target price on PulteGroup from $132.00 to $143.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 1st. Barclays set a $115.00 price target on PulteGroup in a report on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have issued a Buy rating and eight have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $137.25.

PulteGroup Company Profile

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.