Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) was the target of unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders bought 9,941 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 1,498% compared to the typical daily volume of 622 call options.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on PulteGroup from $111.00 to $115.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price target for the company. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $144.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $140.15.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

Shares of PHM opened at $133.84 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.33. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $125.18 and its 200 day moving average price is $125.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 0.81. PulteGroup has a 12-month low of $88.07 and a 12-month high of $142.11.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. PulteGroup’s payout ratio is 9.35%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PulteGroup

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Railway Pension Investments Ltd grew its holdings in shares of PulteGroup by 2.4% during the 2nd quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd now owns 137,739 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $14,526,000 after acquiring an additional 3,200 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in PulteGroup by 10.5% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 105,470 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $13,959,000 after purchasing an additional 10,028 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in PulteGroup in the second quarter valued at about $2,162,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its position in PulteGroup by 129.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 151,766 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $15,778,000 after purchasing an additional 85,637 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Generali Asset Management SPA SGR acquired a new position in PulteGroup in the 3rd quarter worth about $2,280,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

About PulteGroup

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.