Three Key Homebuilders to Monitor as They Approach a Breakout
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 17 hours ago
0mins
Source: Marketbeat
Homebuilding Sector Performance: The homebuilding sector has started 2026 strongly, with the S&P Homebuilders ETF up 17% year-to-date, reflecting a shift in capital towards more defensive sectors like consumer staples and energy.
Investor Sentiment: Improved sentiment among investors is noted as they anticipate potential interest rate cuts and address the ongoing housing shortage in the U.S., estimated at 4 million homes.
Key Stocks to Watch: Notable companies in the sector include Pulte Group, which has gained 21.5% year-to-date, and Toll Brothers, which has also shown significant growth, indicating strong market performance and potential breakout opportunities.
Market Outlook: Analysts suggest that if borrowing costs decrease while demand remains firm, builders could find themselves in a favorable position, with the potential for further upside in the housing market.
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Analyst Views on PHM
Wall Street analysts forecast PHM stock price to fall
12 Analyst Rating
7 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 141.580
Low
111.00
Averages
138.73
High
159.00
Current: 141.580
Low
111.00
Averages
138.73
High
159.00
About PHM
PulteGroup, Inc. is a homebuilder in the United States. The Company's segments include Homebuilding and Financial Services. Its Homebuilding operations involve acquisition and development of land primarily for residential purposes within the United States and the construction of housing on such land. Its financial services business segment includes mortgage banking, title, and insurance agency operations, through Pulte Mortgage LLC (Pulte Mortgage) and other subsidiaries. Pulte Mortgage arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans primarily for the benefit of its homebuyers. Its Homebuilding operations are aggregated into six segments: Northeast, Southeast, Florida, Midwest, Texas and West. The Company, through its brand portfolio that includes Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, offers a variety of home designs with varying levels of options and amenities to its customer groups.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Walmart Quarterly Earnings and Market Trends
- Walmart Earnings Release: Walmart is set to report its quarterly earnings live from Nasdaq in Times Square, which is expected to have a direct impact on its stock price, especially as it has already fallen 6% from its 52-week high.
- Market Performance Analysis: The S&P 500 has risen 1.8% this week, although it remains the worst performer year-to-date, down nearly 4.3%, indicating market volatility and investor caution.
- Global Payments Strong Rebound: Global Payments shares surged 16% on Wednesday, driven by better-than-expected earnings and guidance, reflecting market confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Real Estate Market Dynamics: Cushman & Wakefield is set to report quarterly results, with its stock down 8% over the past three months, highlighting challenges in the commercial real estate market, and investors should pay attention to the upcoming pending home sales data.
See More
Three Key Homebuilders to Monitor as They Approach a Breakout
Homebuilding Sector Performance: The homebuilding sector has started 2026 strongly, with the S&P Homebuilders ETF up 17% year-to-date, reflecting a shift in capital towards more defensive sectors like consumer staples and energy.
Investor Sentiment: Improved sentiment among investors is noted as they anticipate potential interest rate cuts and address the ongoing housing shortage in the U.S., estimated at 4 million homes.
Key Stocks to Watch: Notable companies in the sector include Pulte Group, which has gained 21.5% year-to-date, and Toll Brothers, which has also shown significant growth, indicating strong market performance and potential breakout opportunities.
Market Outlook: Analysts suggest that if borrowing costs decrease while demand remains firm, builders could find themselves in a favorable position, with the potential for further upside in the housing market.
See More
PulteGroup Stock Shows Strong Performance
- Market Trend Analysis: As investors seek growth areas less susceptible to AI disruption, PulteGroup (PHM), one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., is seeing its stock price approach the October 2024 highs, indicating strong market demand and investor confidence.
- Industry Context: The U.S. housing market remains underbuilt by 3-4 million homes, and with a 4% year-over-year wage growth for core buyers and mortgage rates nearly 1% lower than last year, PulteGroup is well-positioned to meet the needs of first-time and move-up buyers.
- Technical Analysis: PulteGroup's stock is forming a multi-year cup and handle pattern, with a breakout above $140 potentially driving the price to $150, signaling strong buying interest, while the relative strength index (RSI) around the mid-60s suggests further upside potential.
- Risk Management Strategy: If the stock closes below $120 on a weekly basis, it may indicate a deteriorating risk-reward profile, prompting investors to reassess their positions to protect capital amid market volatility.
See More
U.S. Housing Shortage and Investment Opportunities
- Housing Shortage Reality: According to Goldman Sachs, the U.S. faces a shortage of 3 to 4 million homes, significantly exceeding the normal annual construction of 1.5 million, leading to fierce competition among buyers and rising prices, thus providing sustained market opportunities for major homebuilders.
- Growth Potential of LGI Homes: LGI Homes is projected to achieve an 11% sales growth this year and 6% next year, reaching $2 billion in sales by 2027, showcasing its ability to stand out in a competitive market, particularly among first-time homebuyers.
- Market Leadership of D.R. Horton: As the largest homebuilder in the U.S., D.R. Horton reported $34.3 billion in sales last year, with expectations to grow sales to nearly $40 billion in the coming years, and its reasonable 10x P/E ratio offers a compelling value proposition for investors.
- Income Model of Invitation Homes: Invitation Homes owns and manages over 100,000 homes, with projected sales growth of only 3%, but its 4.34% dividend yield significantly surpasses the market average, attracting more income-focused investors.
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U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Exceed Expectations
- Strong Job Growth: The U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 130,000 jobs in January, significantly surpassing the consensus estimate of 70,000 and a revised 48,000 from December, indicating resilience in the labor market.
- Unemployment Rate Decline: The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, below the expected 4.4% and the previous 4.4%, suggesting ongoing improvements in the job market that may influence Federal Reserve policy decisions.
- Accelerated Wage Growth: Average hourly earnings increased by 0.4% month-over-month in January, exceeding the 0.3% consensus, with a year-over-year rise of 3.7%, indicating rising wage pressures that could elevate inflation expectations.
- Long-term Employment Outlook Revision: The 2025 employment forecast was revised down from 584,000 to 181,000, with a monthly average of only 15,000, reflecting signs of weakness in the future labor market that may impact investor confidence.
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Mixed Close for US Stocks as Retail Sales Stagnate
- Retail Sales Weakness: US December retail sales were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting market confidence and economic growth outlook.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The US Q4 employment cost index rose by +0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected +0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, suggesting easing labor cost pressures that may influence the Fed's monetary policy decisions.
- Mixed Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new all-time high, closing up +0.10%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices fell by -0.33% and -0.56%, respectively, reflecting divergent market sentiment and uncertainty.
- Focus on Upcoming Economic Data: The market will closely monitor upcoming economic data, including January nonfarm payrolls and unemployment rate, which are expected to significantly influence future monetary policy and market trends.
See More
Walmart Quarterly Earnings and Market Trends
- Walmart Earnings Release: Walmart is set to report its quarterly earnings live from Nasdaq in Times Square, which is expected to have a direct impact on its stock price, especially as it has already fallen 6% from its 52-week high.
- Market Performance Analysis: The S&P 500 has risen 1.8% this week, although it remains the worst performer year-to-date, down nearly 4.3%, indicating market volatility and investor caution.
- Global Payments Strong Rebound: Global Payments shares surged 16% on Wednesday, driven by better-than-expected earnings and guidance, reflecting market confidence in its future growth prospects.
- Real Estate Market Dynamics: Cushman & Wakefield is set to report quarterly results, with its stock down 8% over the past three months, highlighting challenges in the commercial real estate market, and investors should pay attention to the upcoming pending home sales data.
See More
Three Key Homebuilders to Monitor as They Approach a Breakout
Homebuilding Sector Performance: The homebuilding sector has started 2026 strongly, with the S&P Homebuilders ETF up 17% year-to-date, reflecting a shift in capital towards more defensive sectors like consumer staples and energy.
Investor Sentiment: Improved sentiment among investors is noted as they anticipate potential interest rate cuts and address the ongoing housing shortage in the U.S., estimated at 4 million homes.
Key Stocks to Watch: Notable companies in the sector include Pulte Group, which has gained 21.5% year-to-date, and Toll Brothers, which has also shown significant growth, indicating strong market performance and potential breakout opportunities.
Market Outlook: Analysts suggest that if borrowing costs decrease while demand remains firm, builders could find themselves in a favorable position, with the potential for further upside in the housing market.
See More
PulteGroup Stock Shows Strong Performance
- Market Trend Analysis: As investors seek growth areas less susceptible to AI disruption, PulteGroup (PHM), one of the largest homebuilders in the U.S., is seeing its stock price approach the October 2024 highs, indicating strong market demand and investor confidence.
- Industry Context: The U.S. housing market remains underbuilt by 3-4 million homes, and with a 4% year-over-year wage growth for core buyers and mortgage rates nearly 1% lower than last year, PulteGroup is well-positioned to meet the needs of first-time and move-up buyers.
- Technical Analysis: PulteGroup's stock is forming a multi-year cup and handle pattern, with a breakout above $140 potentially driving the price to $150, signaling strong buying interest, while the relative strength index (RSI) around the mid-60s suggests further upside potential.
- Risk Management Strategy: If the stock closes below $120 on a weekly basis, it may indicate a deteriorating risk-reward profile, prompting investors to reassess their positions to protect capital amid market volatility.
See More
U.S. Housing Shortage and Investment Opportunities
- Housing Shortage Reality: According to Goldman Sachs, the U.S. faces a shortage of 3 to 4 million homes, significantly exceeding the normal annual construction of 1.5 million, leading to fierce competition among buyers and rising prices, thus providing sustained market opportunities for major homebuilders.
- Growth Potential of LGI Homes: LGI Homes is projected to achieve an 11% sales growth this year and 6% next year, reaching $2 billion in sales by 2027, showcasing its ability to stand out in a competitive market, particularly among first-time homebuyers.
- Market Leadership of D.R. Horton: As the largest homebuilder in the U.S., D.R. Horton reported $34.3 billion in sales last year, with expectations to grow sales to nearly $40 billion in the coming years, and its reasonable 10x P/E ratio offers a compelling value proposition for investors.
- Income Model of Invitation Homes: Invitation Homes owns and manages over 100,000 homes, with projected sales growth of only 3%, but its 4.34% dividend yield significantly surpasses the market average, attracting more income-focused investors.
See More
U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Exceed Expectations
- Strong Job Growth: The U.S. nonfarm payrolls added 130,000 jobs in January, significantly surpassing the consensus estimate of 70,000 and a revised 48,000 from December, indicating resilience in the labor market.
- Unemployment Rate Decline: The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, below the expected 4.4% and the previous 4.4%, suggesting ongoing improvements in the job market that may influence Federal Reserve policy decisions.
- Accelerated Wage Growth: Average hourly earnings increased by 0.4% month-over-month in January, exceeding the 0.3% consensus, with a year-over-year rise of 3.7%, indicating rising wage pressures that could elevate inflation expectations.
- Long-term Employment Outlook Revision: The 2025 employment forecast was revised down from 584,000 to 181,000, with a monthly average of only 15,000, reflecting signs of weakness in the future labor market that may impact investor confidence.
See More
Mixed Close for US Stocks as Retail Sales Stagnate
- Retail Sales Weakness: US December retail sales were unchanged month-over-month, falling short of the +0.4% expectation, indicating weakness in consumer spending that could lead to a downward revision in Q4 GDP, thereby impacting market confidence and economic growth outlook.
- Employment Cost Index Decline: The US Q4 employment cost index rose by +0.7% quarter-over-quarter, below the expected +0.8%, marking the smallest increase in 4.5 years, suggesting easing labor cost pressures that may influence the Fed's monetary policy decisions.
- Mixed Market Performance: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a new all-time high, closing up +0.10%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices fell by -0.33% and -0.56%, respectively, reflecting divergent market sentiment and uncertainty.
- Focus on Upcoming Economic Data: The market will closely monitor upcoming economic data, including January nonfarm payrolls and unemployment rate, which are expected to significantly influence future monetary policy and market trends.
See More
