Citizens Jmp Begins Coverage on PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)

Citizens Jmp began coverage on shares of PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) in a report issued on Wednesday, MarketBeat reports. The firm set a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price target on the construction company’s stock. Citizens Jmp’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.78% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Monday, December 1st. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. Bank of America decreased their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $150.00 to $132.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Barclays set a $115.00 price target on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Monday, December 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have given a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $136.00.

PulteGroup Price Performance

PHM stock opened at $123.12 on Wednesday. PulteGroup has a 1 year low of $88.07 and a 1 year high of $142.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.00 billion, a PE ratio of 9.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.33. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $121.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.46.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 21st. The construction company reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.86 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $4.40 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 14.93%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.35 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of PulteGroup

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Private Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of 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 buying an additional 200 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the 2nd quarter valued at $32,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Fulcrum Asset Management LLP acquired a new position in PulteGroup during the 3rd quarter worth about $47,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in PulteGroup by 229.6% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 356 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $47,000 after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company’s stock.

PulteGroup News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting PulteGroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citizens JMP initiated coverage with a “Market Outperform” rating and a $145 price target (about a 17.8% upside vs. the prior reference price), giving investors fresh buy-side research to justify buying. Citizens Initiates Coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: roughly 9,941 call contracts were bought (a ~1,498% jump vs. average), signaling short-term bullish speculative interest or hedging by institutional players. Investors Purchase High Volume of Call Options on PulteGroup
• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s notes homebuilders have started the year with momentum and continued demand for housing supports the sector — a tailwind for PHM if incentives and buyer interest persist. Home Builder Stocks Are Off to a Good Start
• Positive Sentiment: Long-term performance highlight: investors who bought PHM five years ago are up substantially (reported ~198%), which can support investor confidence and narrative around durable returns. Five-Year Returns
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks published an overview noting Wall Street bulls are optimistic on PHM; analyst commentary can move flows but is descriptive rather than presenting new fundamental changes. Zacks: Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector teardown and comparisons (Globe & Mail) and general market write-ups explain PHM’s positioning vs peers but do not introduce a clear one-way catalyst. Home Builders Stocks Q3 Teardown
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup reduced its price target from $135 to $128 and moved to a “Neutral” rating — a more conservative view that can cap upside for traders focused on sell-side targets. Citigroup Lowers Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo lowered expectations for PHM, adding downward analyst pressure and countering some of the bullish initiation and option-flow optimism. Wells Fargo Lowers Expectations

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.