Zacks Research Expects Reduced Earnings for Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) – Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their Q1 2026 earnings estimates for Meritage Homes in a research report issued on Wednesday, February 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the construction company will post earnings of $1.15 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $1.29. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes’ current full-year earnings is $9.44 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes’ Q2 2026 earnings at $1.77 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $1.60 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.67 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.19 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.33 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.99 EPS and Q4 2027 earnings at $1.97 EPS.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $90.00 price target on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $82.00 price objective (up from $75.00) on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Friday, January 16th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Evercore set a $77.00 price target on Meritage Homes and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $83.63.

Meritage Homes Trading Up 5.1%

Shares of NYSE:MTH opened at $80.71 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Meritage Homes has a 52-week low of $59.27 and a 52-week high of $84.74. The stock has a market cap of $5.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.77, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $71.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $72.14.

Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The construction company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.12. The company had revenue of $1.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.51 billion. Meritage Homes had a return on equity of 9.28% and a net margin of 7.73%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $4.72 EPS.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Meritage Homes

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of MTH. Salomon & Ludwin LLC increased its position in shares of Meritage Homes by 63.9% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 372 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its stake in Meritage Homes by 265.5% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 402 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 292 shares during the period. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new stake in Meritage Homes in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Brown Lisle Cummings Inc. purchased a new stake in Meritage Homes in the 4th quarter worth $39,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Meritage Homes by 194.9% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 699 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 462 shares during the period. 98.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Meritage Homes Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, December 17th were given a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 17th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Meritage Homes’s dividend payout ratio is 27.22%.

Key Stories Impacting Meritage Homes

Here are the key news stories impacting Meritage Homes this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple FY2026–FY2028 and quarterly EPS forecasts for Meritage, lowering its full‑year outlook (FY2026 now $6.19 from $6.65) and keeping a “Strong Sell” rating — this raises downside risk to sentiment and could pressure valuation multiple if others follow. Zacks cuts MTH estimates (Feb 11, 2026)
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered near‑term quarterly estimates across 2026–2027 (examples: Q1 2026 from $1.29 to $1.15; Q2 2026 to $1.77; Q3 2026 to $1.60; Q1 2027 to $1.33; Q3 2027 to $1.83), signaling expectations for softer homebuilding margins or volumes. Zacks trims quarterly EPS for MTH (Feb 11, 2026)
• Negative Sentiment: Longer‑term forecasts were cut (FY2027 now $7.12 vs prior $8.11; FY2028 $8.26), suggesting Zacks models slower recovery or higher cost pressures than consensus — could lead to analyst re‑ratings if sustained. Zacks lowers FY2027–FY2028 for MTH (Feb 11, 2026)

About Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation is a national homebuilder and residential developer headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1985 as Winchester Homes and later rebranded to Meritage Homes, the company specializes in designing, constructing and selling single‐family detached and attached homes. With a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, Meritage Homes markets its properties under the GreenSmart program, which integrates high‐performance features aimed at reducing long‐term energy and water consumption for homebuyers.

The company’s core activities encompass land acquisition, residential community planning, home design, construction management and real estate sales.