Zacks Research Lifts Earnings Estimates for Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation (NYSE:MTH) – Equities research analysts at Zacks Research boosted their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for Meritage Homes in a report released on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the construction company will earn $0.96 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $0.95. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Meritage Homes’ current full-year earnings is $4.97 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Meritage Homes’ Q2 2027 earnings at $1.60 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.72 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.82 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.10 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.19 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.96 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $7.36 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on MTH. Weiss Ratings raised Meritage Homes from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Meritage Homes from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Zelman & Associates lowered shares of Meritage Homes from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of Meritage Homes from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $93.00 price objective (up from $82.00) on shares of Meritage Homes in a report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $80.22.

Meritage Homes Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:MTH opened at $73.48 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.96 and a quick ratio of 1.96. The stock has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.48, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 1.35. Meritage Homes has a 1-year low of $58.03 and a 1-year high of $85.38. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $71.19 and a 200 day moving average price of $70.05.

Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 22nd. The construction company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by ($0.12). The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.55 billion. Meritage Homes had a net margin of 6.86% and a return on equity of 8.08%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.69 earnings per share.

Meritage Homes Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 16th were paid a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 16th. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. Meritage Homes’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 35.23%.

Insider Activity at Meritage Homes

In related news, CAO Alison Sasser sold 1,273 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $62.11, for a total transaction of $79,066.03. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 7,634 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $474,147.74. The trade was a 14.29% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Meritage Homes

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Salomon & Ludwin LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Meritage Homes by 63.9% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 372 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 145 shares during the period. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Meritage Homes by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 10,627 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $699,000 after buying an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Meritage Homes by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 13,559 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $892,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Meritage Homes by 25.7% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 808 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA raised its position in Meritage Homes by 2.0% in the first quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 9,223 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $570,000 after acquiring an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. 98.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Meritage Homes News

Here are the key news stories impacting Meritage Homes this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised near-term and longer-term EPS estimates for Meritage Homes, including FY2027 to $6.10 and FY2028 to $7.36, signaling better expected earnings power. Tickerreport.com article
• Positive Sentiment: The stock was upgraded from “strong sell” to “hold,” which may reduce bearish pressure and improve investor confidence. Zacks.com article
• Positive Sentiment: Several quarterly EPS forecasts were edged higher, including Q1 2027, Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028, and Q2 2028, reinforcing a constructive outlook for the homebuilder.

About Meritage Homes

Meritage Homes Corporation is a national homebuilder and residential developer headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 1985 as Winchester Homes and later rebranded to Meritage Homes, the company specializes in designing, constructing and selling single‐family detached and attached homes. With a focus on energy efficiency and sustainable building practices, Meritage Homes markets its properties under the GreenSmart program, which integrates high‐performance features aimed at reducing long‐term energy and water consumption for homebuyers.

The company’s core activities encompass land acquisition, residential community planning, home design, construction management and real estate sales.