AJOVista LLC Purchases Shares of 623 Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV)

AJOVista LLC acquired a new position in Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:HOV) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 623 shares of the construction company’s stock, valued at approximately $97,000.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its holdings in Hovnanian Enterprises by 27.4% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 791 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $123,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund raised its stake in Hovnanian Enterprises by 77.5% in the fourth quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 4,842 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $754,000 after buying an additional 2,114 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp purchased a new stake in Hovnanian Enterprises in the fourth quarter valued at about $200,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Hovnanian Enterprises in the fourth quarter worth about $336,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new stake in shares of Hovnanian Enterprises during the fourth quarter worth about $209,000. Institutional investors own 65.40% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Hovnanian Enterprises news, CEO Ara K. Hovnanian sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $157,820.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 51,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,123,784.50. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 17.67% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hovnanian Enterprises Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HOV traded up $4.65 during trading on Friday, hitting $157.82. The stock had a trading volume of 68,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 63,743. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $146.72 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $134.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $962.70 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.67 and a beta of 2.62. Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. has a 12-month low of $65.22 and a 12-month high of $183.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 4.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19.

Hovnanian Enterprises (NYSE:HOV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The construction company reported $2.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $594.20 million during the quarter. Hovnanian Enterprises had a net margin of 7.45% and a return on equity of 58.22%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Zelman & Associates reiterated an “underperform” rating on shares of Hovnanian Enterprises in a research note on Friday, April 12th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Hovnanian Enterprises from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 3rd. Finally, TheStreet raised Hovnanian Enterprises from a “c+” rating to a “b-” rating in a research report on Friday, February 16th.

Hovnanian Enterprises Profile

Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc, through its subsidiaries, designs, constructs, markets, and sells residential homes in the United States. It offers single-family detached homes, attached townhomes and condominiums, urban infill, and active lifestyle homes with amenities, such as clubhouses, swimming pools, tennis courts, tot lots, and open areas.