Strs Ohio Has $7.21 Million Stock Position in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Strs Ohio decreased its position in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 9.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 69,897 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 6,894 shares during the period. Strs Ohio’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $7,214,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHM. Clear Street Markets LLC boosted its stake in PulteGroup by 90.9% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 441 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 210 shares during the period. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new stake in PulteGroup during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in PulteGroup during the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Arlington Trust Co LLC bought a new stake in PulteGroup during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Baystate Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in PulteGroup by 186.5% during the 3rd quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 490 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 319 shares in the last quarter. 89.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PHM opened at $106.15 on Thursday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $110.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $97.77. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 12-month low of $61.00 and a 12-month high of $121.07. The firm has a market cap of $22.40 billion, a PE ratio of 9.04, a PEG ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.21 by $0.07. PulteGroup had a net margin of 16.20% and a return on equity of 25.97%. The firm had revenue of $4.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.63 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 15.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 11.79 earnings per share for the current year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. PulteGroup’s payout ratio is presently 6.81%.

PulteGroup announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, January 30th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to reacquire up to 6.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have commented on PHM shares. StockNews.com cut shares of PulteGroup from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 2nd. Barclays upped their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $126.00 to $136.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $103.00 to $106.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. UBS Group cut shares of PulteGroup from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their target price for the company from $93.00 to $120.00 in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Raymond James upped their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $106.47.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, VP Brien P. O’meara sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.09, for a total transaction of $206,180.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 15,389 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,586,452.01. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.83% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup 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.