Lennar Corporation Stock Upgraded (LEN.B)

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN.B) has been upgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, notable return on equity, solid stock price performance, compelling growth in net income and impressive record of earnings per share growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows low profit margins.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 30.8%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 21.7%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• The company's current return on equity greatly increased when compared to its ROE from the same quarter one year prior. This is a signal of significant strength within the corporation. Compared to other companies in the Household Durables industry and the overall market, LENNAR CORP's return on equity exceeds that of both the industry average and the S&P 500.
• Powered by its strong earnings growth of 2842.85% and other important driving factors, this stock has surged by 49.59% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period. Turning to the future, naturally, any stock can fall in a major bear market. However, in almost any other environment, the stock should continue to move higher despite the fact that it has already enjoyed nice gains in the past year.
• The net income growth from the same quarter one year ago has significantly exceeded that of the S&P 500 and the Household Durables industry. The net income increased by 3184.0% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from $13.79 million to $452.70 million.
• LENNAR CORP reported significant earnings per share improvement in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, LENNAR CORP reported lower earnings of $0.48 versus $0.50 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.85 versus $0.48).

Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in homebuilding, financial services, and real estate businesses in the United States. The company has a P/E ratio of 44, above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Lennar has a market cap of $661.4 million and is part of the industrial goods sector and materials & construction industry. Shares are up 35.6% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

You can view the full Lennar Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

For more information on Lennar Corporation click any of the following:

• Lennar Corporation Stock Price

• Lennar Corporation Analyst Ratings

• Lennar Corporation Key Stats & Profile

• Lennar Corporation Earnings

• Lennar Corporation Ratio Comparison

• Lennar Corporation Growth Rates

• Lennar Corporation Balance Sheet

• Lennar Corporation Cash Flow

• Lennar Corporation Income Statement