PulteGroup Gears Up to Report Q1 Earnings: Things to Keep in Mind

Core Viewpoint - PulteGroup Inc. is expected to report a decline in revenues and earnings per share for the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to ongoing affordability challenges in the housing market and high mortgage rates impacting homebuyers [4][5][6]. Revenue Summary - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Q1 2025 revenues is $3.86 billion, indicating a 2.2$3.83 billion, while financial services revenues are expected to increase 2.4% year over year to $94.6 million [6]. - Home closings are anticipated to be between 6,400 and 6,800 units, down from 7,095 units a year ago, with a model prediction of 6,754 units, reflecting a 4.8$2.47 from $2.48, representing a 13.9$2.87 [2]. - The company expects home sales gross margins to be approximately 27%, down from 29.6% reported in the previous year, with predicted homebuilding gross margins of 26.7%, a decrease of 260 basis points [9]. Orders and Backlogs - Net new orders are expected to increase 4.4% year over year to 8,752 units, while total backlog is projected to decline 9.5% to 12,151 units, with a total backlog value decrease of 6% year over year to $7.71 billion [11]. Market Dynamics - The company is facing significant margin pressure due to the need for incentives to manage affordability concerns while maintaining profitability, although cost-saving efforts may mitigate some risks [8]. - PulteGroup's pricing strategy aims to balance affordability challenges and shifting market dynamics, with an expected average selling price (ASP) for the quarter between$560,000 and $570,000, up from$538,000 a year ago [7].