Wells Fargo & Company Cuts PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) Price Target to $132.00

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) had its price objective reduced by Wells Fargo & Company from $150.00 to $132.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Wells Fargo & Company currently has an overweight rating on the construction company’s stock.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of PulteGroup from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Barclays set a $115.00 price objective on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Monday, December 8th. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $154.00 to $134.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $150.00 price target on shares of PulteGroup in a research note on Tuesday, October 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $136.00.

PulteGroup Stock Up 5.0%

Shares of PHM opened at $123.12 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $24.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.48, a PEG ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 1.33. PulteGroup has a 52 week low of $88.07 and a 52 week high of $142.11. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $121.34 and its 200-day moving average price is $122.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 21st. The construction company reported $2.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.86 by $0.10. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 19.58% and a net margin of 14.93%.The company had revenue of $4.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.35 earnings per share. PulteGroup’s quarterly revenue was down 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that PulteGroup will post 12.32 EPS for the current year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 6th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 16th were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from PulteGroup’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 16th. PulteGroup’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 8.01%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in PulteGroup during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Rexford Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup in the second quarter valued at about $35,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of PulteGroup by 281.7% in 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 in the last quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC boosted its position in PulteGroup by 33.3% during the second quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 420 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake 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 in the last quarter. 89.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting PulteGroup

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.