DR Horton Inc Stock Upgraded (DHI)

NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- DR Horton (NYSE: DHI) 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, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, compelling growth in net income, solid stock price performance and impressive record of earnings per share growth. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

Highlights from the ratings report include:

• The revenue growth greatly exceeded the industry average of 42.6%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues rose by 15.0%. Growth in the company's revenue appears to have helped boost the earnings per share.
• The debt-to-equity ratio is somewhat low, currently at 0.65, and is less than that of the industry average, implying that there has been a relatively successful effort in the management of debt levels.
• 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 235.8% when compared to the same quarter one year prior, rising from -$20.40 million to $27.70 million.
• Looking at where the stock is today compared to one year ago, we find that it is not only higher, but it has also clearly outperformed the rise in the S&P 500 over the same period. Although other factors naturally played a role, the company's strong earnings growth was key. Looking ahead, the stock's rise over the last year has already helped drive it to a level which is relatively expensive compared to the rest of its industry. We feel, however, that the other strengths this company displays justify these higher price levels.
• D R HORTON INC 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, D R HORTON INC reported lower earnings of $0.23 versus $0.73 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($0.51 versus $0.23).

.

D.R. Horton, Inc. operates as a homebuilding company in the United States. The company's Homebuilding segment engages in the acquisition and development of land, and construction and sale of residential homes in 25 states and 73 markets in the United States primarily under the D.R. The company has a P/E ratio of 37.7, below the average materials & construction industry P/E ratio of 62 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. DR Horton has a market cap of $4.5 billion and is part of the industrial goods sector and materials & construction industry. Shares are up 12.4% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday.

You can view the full DR Horton Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.
-- Written by a member of TheStreet RatingsStaff