Howard Hughes (NYSE:HHH) Shares Down 7% Following Weak Earnings

Howard Hughes Holdings Inc. (NYSE:HHH)’s share price fell 7% during trading on Friday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as low as $76.27 and last traded at $76.4930. 386,501 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 15% from the average session volume of 335,244 shares. The stock had previously closed at $82.25.

The company reported $0.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by ($0.21). Howard Hughes had a net margin of 8.40% and a return on equity of 5.57%. The business had revenue of $624.45 million during the quarter. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.25 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 36.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Key Howard Hughes News

Here are the key news stories impacting Howard Hughes this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Small new investor stake noted — a reported $11 million investor entry was highlighted as a vote of confidence by some commentators, which could provide modest support for the stock. Howard Hughes Just Got a New $11 Million Investor
• Neutral Sentiment: Company published its press release, slide deck and full earnings call/transcript and presentation — useful for investors wanting detail on segment performance and management commentary. Press Release & Investor Materials
• Neutral Sentiment: Several outlets posted full earnings call transcripts and presentations — useful context but not market-moving by itself. Earnings Call Transcript (Seeking Alpha) Earnings Transcript (Yahoo) Earnings Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Big EPS miss: Reported Q4 EPS of $0.10 vs. consensus ~$0.31 — the miss was the primary headline driver and triggered the sell-off. Zacks: Lags Q4 Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue fell sharply year-over-year (reported $624.45M, down ~36.5% YoY) — the combination of lower top-line and the EPS miss raises questions about near-term growth and margins. Q4 & Full-Year Results
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and news coverage emphasize the miss and weaker metrics versus estimates, amplifying negative sentiment; consensus long-run EPS estimates remain materially higher than the quarter’s result, leaving room for downward forecast revisions. Zacks: Key Metrics vs Estimates

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on HHH shares. Zacks Research lowered Howard Hughes from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Howard Hughes in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Howard Hughes from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $83.33.

Insider Activity at Howard Hughes

In related news, Director Mary Ann Tighe sold 6,000 shares of Howard Hughes stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.83, for a total value of $532,980.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 13,495 shares in the company, valued at $1,198,760.85. The trade was a 30.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director R Scot Sellers acquired 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 23rd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $77.94 per share, with a total value of $389,700.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 67,517 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,262,274.98. This represents a 8.00% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 48.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Howard Hughes

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of HHH. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of Howard Hughes by 134.2% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 363 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. grew its stake in Howard Hughes by 291.0% in the 2nd quarter. TD Waterhouse Canada Inc. now owns 391 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the period. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new position in Howard Hughes in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its stake in shares of Howard Hughes by 41.5% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 423 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Howard Hughes by 191.5% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 516 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the period. 93.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Howard Hughes Stock Down 9.7%

The firm has a market cap of $4.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.21 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $81.32 and a 200-day moving average price of $80.84.

Howard Hughes Company Profile

Howard Hughes Holdings Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a real estate development company in the United States. It operates in four segments: Operating Assets; Master Planned Communities (MPCs); Seaport; and Strategic Developments. The Operating Assets segment consists of developed or acquired retail, office, and multi-family properties along with other retail investments. Its MPCs segment develops, sells, and leases residential and commercial land designated for long-term community development projects in and around Las Vegas, Nevada; Houston, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.