Meritage Homes Q1 EPS Estimate Boosted by Zacks Research

Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for shares of Meritage Homes in a research note issued on Monday, April 13th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the construction company will post earnings per share of $1.11 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $1.04. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes’ current full-year earnings is $9.44 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes’ Q2 2026 earnings at $1.75 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.65 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.10 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.32 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.97 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.81 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.95 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.04 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $8.17 EPS.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $90.00 price objective on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Citizens Jmp began coverage on Meritage Homes in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $90.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on Meritage Homes from $78.00 to $76.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $82.00 price target (up from $75.00) on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Meritage Homes in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set an “outperform” rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $84.33.

Meritage Homes Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of NYSE:MTH opened at $64.99 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.71 and its 200 day moving average is $69.62. The company has a market cap of $4.33 billion, a PE ratio of 10.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 2.10 and a quick ratio of 2.10. Meritage Homes has a 1 year low of $58.03 and a 1 year high of $84.74.

Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.51 billion. Meritage Homes had a net margin of 7.73% and a return on equity of 9.28%. Meritage Homes’s revenue for the quarter was down 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $4.72 earnings per share.

Meritage Homes Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. This is a positive change from Meritage Homes’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.43. Meritage Homes’s payout ratio is presently 30.38%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Javier Feliciano sold 3,580 shares of Meritage Homes stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.24, for a total transaction of $272,939.20. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 44,935 shares in the company, valued at $3,425,844.40. The trade was a 7.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Phillippe Lord sold 32,820 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.49, for a total value of $2,510,401.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 260,389 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,917,154.61. The trade was a 11.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,622 shares of company stock worth $3,640,273. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Meritage Homes

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Meritage Homes by 63.9% during the 4th quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 372 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Meritage Homes by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 10,627 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $699,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Archer Investment Corp increased its stake in shares of Meritage Homes by 11.4% in the 3rd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 1,559 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $113,000 after acquiring an additional 159 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its position in Meritage Homes by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,559 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $892,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Meritage Homes by 25.7% during the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 808 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 98.44% of the company’s stock.

Key Meritage Homes News

Here are the key news stories impacting Meritage Homes this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research now expects Meritage to beat near‑term estimates and has nudged several quarterly and multi‑year EPS forecasts higher, including raises to Q1–Q4 2026 and FY2026–FY2028 estimates; Zacks also upgraded the stock from “strong sell” to “hold” — this supports upside into the upcoming Q1 release. Meritage Homes (MTH) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ estimate revisions are mostly small incremental raises to multiple quarters (Q1–Q4 2026, FY2026–FY2028 and early 2027), and Zacks retains a “Hold” rating — positive for sentiment but not a strong conviction buy signal by itself.
• Neutral Sentiment: Wolfe Research issued mixed changes: they raised their Q3 2026 view materially but also adjusted other quarter calls — mixed analyst views can increase intra‑day volatility rather than a clear directional catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research cut Q2 2026 and Q4 2026 EPS forecasts sharply (Q2 trimmed to $1.50 from $1.96; Q4 to $0.97 from $1.32), signaling near‑term margin or demand risks that can pressure the stock.
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary and coverage highlighting market challenges and an earnings downgrade narrative have added selling pressure; see coverage outlining the downgrade and near‑term headwinds. Meritage Homes Faces Earnings Downgrade Amid Market Challenges

About Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation is a national homebuilder and residential developer headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1985 as Winchester Homes and later rebranded to Meritage Homes, the company specializes in designing, constructing and selling single‐family detached and attached homes. With a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, Meritage Homes markets its properties under the GreenSmart program, which integrates high‐performance features aimed at reducing long‐term energy and water consumption for homebuyers.

The company’s core activities encompass land acquisition, residential community planning, home design, construction management and real estate sales.