PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) Position Increased by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG boosted its stake in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 193.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 16,122 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,632 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $1,756,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of PulteGroup during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Fortitude Family Office LLC boosted its stake in PulteGroup by 74.1% during the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 322 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 137 shares during the period. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in PulteGroup in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. grew its position in PulteGroup by 41.9% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 444 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 131 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Oakworth Capital Inc. increased its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 642.2% in the fourth quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. now owns 475 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 411 shares during the period. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

PulteGroup Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PHM opened at $104.32 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a current ratio of 0.86. The company has a market capitalization of $21.12 billion, a PE ratio of 7.09, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.71. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $106.79 and a 200-day moving average of $120.64. PulteGroup, Inc. has a one year low of $99.58 and a one year high of $149.47.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The construction company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.28 by $0.22. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 24.43% and a net margin of 17.18%. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that PulteGroup, Inc. will post 12.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th were given a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.84%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 18th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.98%.

PulteGroup announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, January 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the construction company to repurchase up to 6.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on PHM shares. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $135.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Friday, January 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on PulteGroup from $162.00 to $155.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 13th. StockNews.com lowered PulteGroup from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $140.00 to $124.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 14th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $140.86.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Brien P. O’meara sold 3,500 shares of PulteGroup stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.40, for a total transaction of $372,400.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 11,372 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,209,980.80. The trade was a 23.53 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 15,191 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.50, for a total value of $1,617,841.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 74,758 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,961,727. This represents a 16.89 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 21,191 shares of company stock worth $2,256,367 over the last 90 days. 0.76% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About PulteGroup

PulteGroup, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, and American West brand names.