PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) Cut to Sell at Seaport Research Partners

Seaport Research Partners cut shares of PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) from a buy rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Monday, MarketBeat reports. Seaport Research Partners currently has $100.00 price target on the construction company’s stock, down from their prior price target of $155.00.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded PulteGroup from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on PulteGroup from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citizens Jmp began coverage on PulteGroup in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised PulteGroup from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $141.21.

PulteGroup Stock Performance

PHM stock opened at $120.28 on Monday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $23.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.82, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.33. PulteGroup has a 1 year low of $88.07 and a 1 year high of $144.49. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $127.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $125.30.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th were issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 17th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.35%.

Insider Activity at PulteGroup

In related news, COO Matthew William Koart sold 15,309 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 42,418 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,759,940.22. The trade was a 26.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Brien P. O’meara sold 4,000 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 8,601 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,165,521.51. The trade was a 31.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last three months, insiders sold 149,952 shares of company stock valued at $20,162,165. 0.75% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rachor Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Lloyd Advisory Services LLC. acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the second quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Private Wealth Management Group LLC grew its holdings in PulteGroup by 281.7% during the third quarter. Private Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 271 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the period. 89.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.