PulteGroup Sees Unusually High Options Volume (NYSE:PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Traders bought 9,941 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 1,498% compared to the typical volume of 622 call options.

PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of PHM opened at $117.18 on Thursday. PulteGroup has a one year low of $88.07 and a one year high of $144.49. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $128.41 and its 200-day moving average is $125.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $22.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.33.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In related news, COO Matthew William Koart sold 15,309 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.79, for a total transaction of $2,078,809.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 42,418 shares in the company, valued at $5,759,940.22. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Brien P. O’meara sold 4,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.51, for a total value of $542,040.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 8,601 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,165,521.51. The trade was a 31.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 149,952 shares of company stock worth $20,162,165. Corporate insiders own 0.75% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of PulteGroup

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PHM. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in PulteGroup by 18.3% during the fourth quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 484 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in PulteGroup by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 2,875 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $304,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Stephens Inc. AR increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 2,350 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Apella Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Apella Capital LLC now owns 2,163 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $268,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 14,308 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $1,890,000 after buying an additional 92 shares in the last quarter. 89.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on PHM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $149.00 to $131.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price objective on the stock. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $149.00 target price (up from $140.00) on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $111.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, PulteGroup presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $142.71.

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.