PulteGroup, Inc. $PHM is Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s 9th Largest Position

Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd grew its position in shares of PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) by 154.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 17,793 shares of the construction company’s stock after acquiring an additional 10,789 shares during the quarter. PulteGroup makes up 1.2% of Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s holdings, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd’s holdings in PulteGroup were worth $2,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in PulteGroup in the second quarter valued at about $404,339,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 3rd quarter valued at about $315,883,000. AGF Management Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the 3rd quarter valued at about $174,347,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 27.2% during the 2nd quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,199,906 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $337,462,000 after purchasing an additional 683,728 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 143.8% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 772,762 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $81,496,000 after purchasing an additional 455,754 shares during the period. 89.90% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

PulteGroup Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of PHM stock opened at $135.64 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.01, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.33. PulteGroup, Inc. has a 12-month low of $88.07 and a 12-month high of $144.49. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $129.02 and its 200-day moving average price is $127.50.

PulteGroup Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 17th will be paid a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 17th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. PulteGroup’s payout ratio is presently 9.35%.

Insider Buying and Selling at PulteGroup

In related news, insider Ryan Marshall sold 111,250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.86, for a total transaction of $14,891,925.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 659,392 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $88,266,213.12. This represents a 14.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Todd N. Sheldon sold 14,220 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.01, for a total transaction of $1,919,842.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 69,753 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,417,352.53. This trade represents a 16.93% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 149,952 shares of company stock worth $20,162,165. Company insiders own 0.76% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of PulteGroup from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of PulteGroup from $132.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Citizens Jmp initiated coverage on shares of PulteGroup in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set a “market outperform” rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group reduced their price objective on PulteGroup from $160.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Barclays set a $115.00 target price on PulteGroup in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $140.62.

PulteGroup 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.