The stock's strong growth rate and valuation make it a solid pick
The shares of D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI) are down 0.3% at $88.48 at last check. The security has had a volatile year thus far, surging to May 10, record high of $106.84, before pulling back to the $82 area earlier this month. While shares have since bounced off that level, the equity is now running into a familiar ceiling at the $92 mark. Year-over-year, DHI still carries a 28.7% lead.
The brokerage bunch is firmly bullish towards the homebuilding stock. Of the 15 analysts in coverage, 12 carry a "strong buy" rating, while only three say "hold." Plus, the equity's 12-month consensus target price of $110.94 is a substantial 25.1% premium to current levels.
The security could benefit from a sentiment shift in the options pits. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), DHI's 50-day put/call volume ratio of 1.05 sits higher than 96% of readings from the past 12 months. This means long puts have been getting picked up at much faster-than-usual clip.
Echoing this, D.R. Horton stock's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) sits higher than 82% of readings in its annual range, suggesting short-term options traders have rarely been more put-biased. The unwinding of some of this pessimism could push DHI higher.
The company’s revenues are up 28% since 2020, while net income has added 54%. What's more, D.R. Horton’s revenues have grown 62% since 2018, and net income has increased 151%. The security is also now trading at an attractive price-earnings ratio of 8.89, and has a forward price-earnings ratio of 7.09, signaling an expected increase in earnings going forward. Overall, DHI's strong growth rate and valuation make it a solid pick for value investors.