LEN Investment Analysis Report & Stock Research, Lennar Corp Cl A

Lennar Corp Cl A (LEN)

LEN Stock Report

2-Year Price History

View Larger LEN Chart
NYSE:LEN
$16.33
(3/12 6:40PM)
-1.9%
Open$16.74 Mkt Cap$2.5 Billion
High$16.82 52Wk High$17.88
Low$16.22 52Wk Low$7.02
Volume4.4 Million Avg Vol 10D4.3 Million

Ockham's Rating/Recommendation Summary

Rating specific information requires Premium Access.
Buy Now or Learn More about Ockham's Features and Services.

LEN Revenue

For a long time, value investors have used the current share price relative to sales per share levels as an important valuation tool. We utilize a historical weighted average methodology that treats recent years more importantly in the calculation. When looking at LEN through this framework, we can see that our weighted average historical high and low Price to Sales per share ratios over the last 10 years are 0.97x and 0.38x respectively.

Utilizing this range we can see that LEN’s current Price to Sales per share ratio of 0.97x is high enough compared with historical norms of LEN to cause some concern. The current Price to Sales per share is near the upper end of the historical range. In our eyes, this is a negative factor because it is more likely that it will return to the normal range than continue rising outside of the range. At current sales per share levels, we would need to see a decline in the Price to Sales ratio of 43% merely to return LEN to its historical average.

LEN Cash Earnings

Price to Cash Earnings analysis is inappropriate for this company due to anticipated negative cash flows for this year. A negative cash flow presents many complications when comparing the company's current value to historically normal valuations. Clearly, when a company fails to earn a profit, it should be a concern for investors. As such, we have taken a negative view on LEN from a cash perspective. We should point out that this metric is a significant element in Ockham’s methodology for analyzing the outlook for any company. Many young companies have come through difficult times like this before; these companies have an opportunity to grow revenue appropriately to bring them around to profitablity. However, for mature company's with a history of positive cash flow this can be much more distressing. Therefore, for LEN, our overall valutaion is now more dependent on the Price to Sales analysis, and investors should be cautious with a company with very limited, if any, positive cash earnings.

LEN Dividends

A strong dividend payment history is looked upon as a favorable characteristic on a company’s future and potentially can receive a positive Ockham rating. That being said, we don't require dividend payments for company's whose management has elected to forgo them entirely.

When reviewing dividend yields for LEN, we compare the historic high and low levels over the past, which is similar to our evaluation of Sales and Cash Earnings per share. Paying a dividend is not necessary for any company, but changes in dividend often can lend clues as to the health of the business. A rising dividend is a strong sign for an established company, as it reflects management's confidence in the company. LEN’s estimated annual dividend is $0.16 resulting in a current dividend yield of 0.98%. The highest dividend yield from LEN over recent history was 15.20% while the lowest dividend yield was 0.07%. With that range in mind, LEN’s current dividend yield is a full 87.16% below its median dividend yield historically. This is a negative from our perspective.

Peer Comparison

:

Lennar Corp Cl A Industry Grouping

(3/12/2010)
Company Ticker Market Cap (Ml) Latest
Price
Price/Cash Earnings Price/Sales 5-Yr. Rev.
Growth Rate
5-Yr.
Avg. ROE.
Current 10-Yr. Range* Current 10-Yr. Range*
Peer Company Averages (not including LEN) 10.20 4.54 » 47.55 1.22 0.40 » 2.31 11.51% 9.36%
*10 year range does not include current year values
Waste Connections, Inc. WCN $2.7 Billion $34.54 11.00 6.52 » 16.02 2.28 1.32 » 3.10 13.61% 10.30%
Covanta Holding Corp. CVA $2.7 Billion $17.33 9.07 6.22 » 22.61 1.73 0.07 » 3.10 21.72% 11.26%
RPM International, Inc. RPM $2.7 Billion $20.70 12.11 5.73 » 23.61 0.82 0.35 » 1.03 7.54% 8.76%
Lennar Corp Cl A LEN $2.5 Billion $16.33 -1.00 3.82 » 16.32 0.97 0.12 » 1.05 -21.56% 7.02%
Chicago Bridge & Iron Company CBI $2.3 Billion $23.24 9.19 1.84 » 105.83 0.51 0.08 » 1.43 19.15% 13.51%
Armstrong World Industries, Inc. AWI $2.2 Billion $37.70 9.64 2.40 » 69.67 0.78 0.19 » 2.92 -4.49% 2.94%
Ockham Coverflow

Sharpen Your Investing

  • Access to over 5,000 stock reports
  • Portfolio Analytics and Tracking
  • Business Television Tracking
  • CNBC and Fox Business Show Recaps
Get Started
The Latest Financial News
The most recent Stocks on Financial TV & Blogs from impactful financial news sources
12:06P, Feb. 23,2010 LEN $16.46 Lennar Corp Cl A
Power Lunch

Power Lunch Brings News Related to Lennar Corp Cl A

Staying informed on the news is invaluable for investors, and RazorWire has captured a recently discussion on LEN from Power Lunch.

While bearish sentiment on a stock is not always a bad thing, it is something you need to be aware of. The Motley Fool survey of crowd sentiment shows that many investors believe this stock will underperform. We noticed recently that in comparison to all other stocks we analyze in the news; LEN has received less coverage from the financial media in business television and blogs. At the current price, value investors will want to look elsewhere for a buying opportunity as this stock has heated up and is currently Overvalued.

“… Terex, ak steel and not to mention kbhome, putty and LENNAR, the homebuilders. We were told home belding would be the next catastrophe. …”

12:16P, Feb. 19,2010 LEN $17.21 Lennar Corp Cl A
Power Lunch

Power Lunch Has the Latest News on LEN

News has broken via the television and viral blogs regarding LEN, so investors should take an interest in learning what was said.

We noticed recently that in comparison to all other stocks we analyze in the news; LEN has received less coverage from the financial media in business television and blogs. While bearish sentiment on a stock is not always a bad thing, it is something you need to be aware of. The Motley Fool survey of crowd sentiment shows that many investors believe this stock will underperform. At the current price, value investors will want to look elsewhere for a buying opportunity as this stock has heated up and is currently Overvalued.

“… fdic recently gave a very big chunk of property to LENNAR. I know these commercial banks a lot of them have outside shopping centering. …”

1:25P, Feb. 17,2010 LEN $17.17 Lennar Corp Cl A
Power Lunch

Power Lunch Discusses Higher Prices and Lennar Corp Cl A

Stick with it or dump it? Power Lunch discusses what an abnormally high price means for LEN's investors. Take note of Ockham's valaution on the stock as well.

As we analyze the results from RazorWire, one thing we do is rank each stock in terms of amount of news coverage. Recently, LEN has been less covered in the news compared to the rest of our universe of stocks. The crowd at The Motley Fool does not like LEN and believes that it will Underperform. At Ockham, we are not advising buying Lennar Corp Cl A at the current price level because according to our methodology it is not supported by the fundamentals.

“… that hit new 52-week highs at the open are doing right now. Home depot is up about 56 cents. LENNAR is down slightly and …”

11:06A, Feb. 17,2010 LEN $17.19 Lennar Corp Cl A
The Call

A Few Words from The Call on Lennar Corp Cl A and Sentiment

The Call talked about the sentiment surrounding LEN and the way they are perceived in the marketplace.

Interestingly, overall sentiment looks bearish according to the Motley Fool's CAPS survey, as most of their users see Lennar Corp Cl A underperforming. When taking into account the amount of news coverage each stock normally sees as a percentage of the total, Lennar Corp Cl A has actually sunk a bit in comparison to the others. As of this week's report, we have an Overvalued valuation on LEN because the price has gotten too high to be justified by the fundamentals.

“… when I look at these stocks I look at ryland and LENNAR. They're both trading at the top of the 52-week range. They're treading at 20 times forward earnings. …”

10:00A, Feb. 17,2010 LEN $17.58 Lennar Corp Cl A
Squawk On The Street

LEN Profits on the Mind of Squawk On The Street

In our methodology at Ockham we weight earnings performance heavily, so we always pay attention to earnings news coming from legitimate sources like Squawk On The Street.

The crowd at The Motley Fool does not like LEN and believes that it will Underperform. As we analyze the results from RazorWire, one thing we do is rank each stock in terms of amount of news coverage. Recently, LEN has been less covered in the news compared to the rest of our universe of stocks. At Ockham, we are not advising buying Lennar Corp Cl A at the current price level because according to our methodology it is not supported by the fundamentals.

“… And 13 stocks hitting new 52-week highs including the depot, LENNAR, and altera. Erin? > > thank you very much, mark haines. I'm here with a cheery bob pisani. > > …”

12:53P, Feb. 11,2010 LEN $16.92 Lennar Corp Cl A
Power Lunch

LEN in Developing Markets on Power Lunch

There is no doubt that the emerging markets are where the growth is right now. The latest news mention of LEN on Power Lunch was in relation to emerging markets.

The latest news on LEN has created quite a stir as the stock is trading $1.34 higher in today's session. While bearish sentiment on a stock is not always a bad thing, it is something you need to be aware of. The Motley Fool survey of crowd sentiment shows that many investors believe this stock will underperform. We noticed recently that in comparison to all other stocks we analyze in the news; LEN has received less coverage from the financial media in business television and blogs. At the current price, value investors will want to look elsewhere for a buying opportunity as this stock has heated up and is currently Overvalued. The price has continued to rise to $16.95 even since we issued the Overvalued stance at a lower price.

“… topping the tape, home builders, LENNAR, $3 billion worth of loans from the fdic. Is there a trade here? Xhb options? > > could be. …”

10:40A, Feb. 11,2010 LEN $16.65 Lennar Corp Cl A
Squawk On The Street

Looking for Growth? See What Squawk On The Street Said About Lennar Corp Cl A

Trends in sales growth can show the direction of a company, and we have the latest news on LEN's sales growth via Squawk On The Street.

As we analyze the results from RazorWire, one thing we do is rank each stock in terms of amount of news coverage. Recently, LEN has been less covered in the news compared to the rest of our universe of stocks. At Ockham, we are not advising buying Lennar Corp Cl A at the current price level because according to our methodology it is not supported by the fundamentals. Check the news on this stock because there is a catalyst that has allowed this stock to advance 6.66% today. The crowd at The Motley Fool does not like LEN and believes that it will Underperform.

“… LENNAR leading the pack up 6%. Back to you. > > thank you. Markets have been down for two of the last three sessions plus volatility on the rise. …”

11:58A, Feb. 08,2010 LEN $15.62 Lennar Corp Cl A
The Call

Interested in LEN? See What the Pundits Said on The Call

The latest news from The Call on LEN is available through Ockham's news analytics platform RazorWire.

As of this week's report, we have an Overvalued valuation on LEN because the price has gotten too high to be justified by the fundamentals. Interestingly, overall sentiment looks bearish according to the Motley Fool's CAPS survey, as most of their users see Lennar Corp Cl A underperforming. In comparison to the other stocks that we follow, Lennar Corp Cl A has seen more discussion in relation to its normal ranking among the group. Be aware that the news sources we track are focusing on this stock more often these days.

“… Hasbro, LENNAR. You love to see the buying ahead of an earnings report. Then newell rubbermaid. The retail patch -- I will clump cvs in there. …”

9:57A, Jan. 26,2010 LEN $14.66 Lennar Corp Cl A
Squawk On The Street

LEN News Mentioned on Squawk On The Street Recently

The latest news from Squawk On The Street on LEN is available through Ockham's news analytics platform RazorWire.

At the current price, value investors will want to look elsewhere for a buying opportunity as this stock has heated up and is currently Overvalued. Ranking all stocks in terms of news coverage offers some interesting data. In the case of LEN, it is getting significantly more attention in recent news coverage than we are used to seeing. While bearish sentiment on a stock is not always a bad thing, it is something you need to be aware of. The Motley Fool survey of crowd sentiment shows that many investors believe this stock will underperform.

“… these are raelian, kb, LENNAR, will eventually rise to a buy? > > some of those possibly, sure. I couldn't tell you which ones but some of them. > > …”

3:56P, Jan. 25,2010 LEN $14.72 Lennar Corp Cl A
Closing Bell

See Who is Talking About News from LEN on Closing Bell

The latest news from Closing Bell on LEN is available through Ockham's news analytics platform RazorWire.

In comparison to the other stocks that we follow, Lennar Corp Cl A has seen more discussion in relation to its normal ranking among the group. Be aware that the news sources we track are focusing on this stock more often these days. Interestingly, overall sentiment looks bearish according to the Motley Fool's CAPS survey, as most of their users see Lennar Corp Cl A underperforming. As of this week's report, we have an Overvalued valuation on LEN because the price has gotten too high to be justified by the fundamentals.

“… discretionary. Archer daniels, starbucks, international game tech, sears holding, LENNAR all not participating in this bounceback …”

View All Lennar Corp Cl A Stock News

Key Fundamentals

LEN - Lennar Corp Cl A Fundamentals
Price (3/12 6:40PM) $16.33
Volume (3/12 6:40PM) 4.4 Million
Last Close Price $16.64
10 Day Average Volume 4.3 Million
13 Week Price Range $11.75 - $17.88
52 Week Price Range $7.02 - $17.88
LTM Revenue $3.1 Billion
 
Shares Outstanding (11/2009) 184.9 Million
Market Capitalization $2.5 Billion
Shares Held By Institutions 148.4 Million
Institutional Holders 350
% Shares Held By Institutions %
Earnings Per Share (EPS) ($2.45)
P/E Ratio n/a
Book Value Per Share $13.22
 
Gross Margin -10.20%
Annual Dividend 0.16
Dividend Yield 1.00%
Beta 1.65
Fiscal Year Ends November

About Lennar Corp Cl A

Lennar Corp Cl A is considered to operate in the Industrial Goods sector. They specifically operate in the Residential Construction business segment contained within the Materials & Construction industry.

The Company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, and to a lesser extent multi-level residential buildings, as well as the purchase, development and sale of residential land directly.