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ATLANTA - On Tuesday, PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM) reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded analyst expectations, with earnings per share of $3.03 compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95. The homebuilder posted revenue of $4.4 billion, slightly above the $4.38 billion analysts had forecast.
Following the announcement, the company’s shares rose 1.34% in pre-market trading.
The company delivered 7,639 home closings during the quarter, generating home sale revenues of $4.3 billion, a 4% decrease from the same period last year. Despite the lower volume, PulteGroup maintained strong profitability with a home sale gross margin of 27.0%, though this was down from 29.9% in the prior-year quarter.
Net new orders totaled 7,083 homes with a value of $3.9 billion, representing a 7% decline from the 7,649 homes ordered in the same quarter last year. The company ended the period with a backlog of 10,779 homes valued at $6.8 billion.
"PulteGroup continues to deliver strong financial results, as our disciplined business practices allow us to navigate today’s highly competitive homebuilding environment," said Ryan Marshall, President and Chief Executive Officer. "We achieved second quarter earnings of $3.03 per share, as we closed 7,639 homes while driving exceptional gross and operating margins of 27.0% and 17.9%, respectively."
The company maintained a strong balance sheet, ending the quarter with $1.3 billion in cash after repurchasing $300 million of common shares. PulteGroup further reduced its debt-to-capital ratio to 11.4%, down from 11.8% at the end of 2024.
Marshall noted that consumers faced challenges during the spring selling season, including "high interest rates and challenged affordability," but expressed encouragement about positive consumer response to interest rate pullbacks in late June.
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