Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV) Stock Price Up 8.3% – Time to Buy?

Shares of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc (NYSE:HOV) shot up 8.3% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $128.99 and last traded at $127.96. Approximately 37,358 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 68% from the average session volume of 117,863 shares. The stock had previously closed at $118.13.

Hovnanian Enterprises News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Hovnanian Enterprises this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Management forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $800 million to $900 million, above the roughly $784 million analyst consensus, and targeted a gross margin of 15% to 16.5%. Hovnanian forecasts fourth-quarter revenue and gross margin
• Positive Sentiment: Hovnanian said it met or exceeded nearly all previously provided guidance metrics, while gross margins improved sequentially for the second consecutive quarter. Hovnanian fiscal 2026 third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: The dollar value of consolidated domestic backlog rose 5% year over year, supporting expectations for future deliveries and revenue. Hovnanian reports fiscal third-quarter results

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on HOV. Weiss Ratings upgraded Hovnanian Enterprises from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 16th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market underperform” rating on shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in a report on Friday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $97.00.

Hovnanian Enterprises Price Performance

The company has a market cap of $769.30 million, a P/E ratio of 138.19 and a beta of 1.83. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $131.55 and a 200-day simple moving average of $119.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 0.40.

Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The construction company reported ($0.70) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.56) by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $705.75 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $723.50 million. Hovnanian Enterprises had a return on equity of 8.60% and a net margin of 0.64%.During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.99 EPS.

Insider Activity at Hovnanian Enterprises

In related news, CEO Ara K. Hovnanian sold 12,880 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.78, for a total transaction of $1,620,046.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director J Larry Sorsby sold 1,032 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.57, for a total value of $147,132.24. Following the sale, the director directly owned 187,416 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $26,719,899.12. This trade represents a 0.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 22.67% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hovnanian Enterprises

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HOV. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in the second quarter worth about $43,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises by 72.1% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 432 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises by 614.1% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 557 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 479 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Hovnanian Enterprises in the 4th quarter worth approximately $117,000. 65.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Hovnanian Enterprises

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc is a publicly traded homebuilding company primarily engaged in the acquisition, development and construction of residential properties. Headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey, the company operates through a network of regional homebuilding divisions that design and deliver a range of housing solutions, including single-family detached homes, townhomes and condominiums. Hovnanian combines land development, architectural design and construction services with in-house mortgage and insurance offerings to provide a comprehensive homebuying experience.

The company markets its communities under several branded product lines tailored to different buyer segments and price points.