Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC Lowers Stake in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM)

Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC lessened its holdings in PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 14.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 30,919 shares of the construction company’s stock after selling 5,359 shares during the quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $3,729,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. purchased a new position in PulteGroup in the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. bought a new stake in PulteGroup during the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. bought a new position in PulteGroup in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Lindbrook Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 335.6% in the fourth quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 379 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 292 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of PulteGroup by 3,463.6% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 392 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

NYSE:PHM traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $124.76. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 2,077,820 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,813,439. The business’s fifty day moving average is $113.44 and its two-hundred day moving average is $110.51. The stock has a market cap of $26.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.95, a PEG ratio of 0.55 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 1 year low of $68.80 and a 1 year high of $129.85.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 23rd. The construction company reported $2.87 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.51. The firm had revenue of $3.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.59 billion. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 25.81% and a net margin of 16.63%. Analysts anticipate that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 18th were issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 18th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently issued reports on PHM. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $129.00 to $117.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $136.00 to $131.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Raymond James reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $135.00 target price (up previously from $120.00) on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $126.00 to $131.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $106.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PulteGroup presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $117.00.

About PulteGroup

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.