The Ryland Group (RYL)

[MCArmel1]

Homebuilders Standard Pacific, Ryland Group agree to merge

Jun 14 2015, 22:24 ET | About: Standard Pacific Corp. (SPF) | By: Carl Surran, SA News Editor

California-based homebuilders Standard Pacific (NYSE:SPF) and Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) announce a merger agreement that would form a single company that would own or control 74K home sites and have a market cap of $5.2B.
The two companies say they will be building houses in 20 of the top 25 metro areas in the U.S. as a single company, and rank in the top five in market share in 15 of them; they say the merger should result in cost savings of $50M-$70M per year.
SPF CEO Scott Stowell will become executive chairman of the combined company, while RYL CEO Larry Nicholson will be its CEO.


http://seekingalpha.com/news/2579055-homebuilders-standard-pacific-ryland-group-agree-to-merge?uprof=45#email_link

[chmcnfunds]

Ryland Reports Results for the Fourth Quarter of 2014
By Business Wire, January 29, 2015, 08:00:00 AM EDT

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE:RYL) today announced results for its quarter ended December 31, 2014. Items of note included:

Pretax earnings rose 53.1 percent to $115.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, compared to $75.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2013;
Net income totaled $71.7 million, or $1.26 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to $72.2 million, or $1.27 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2013. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2013 included a $25.9 million tax benefit related to a reversal of the Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance;
Housing gross profit margin was 22.3 percent for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to 21.9 percent for the same period in the prior year;
Selling, general and administrative expense totaled 9.9 percent of homebuilding revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to 11.4 percent for the fourth quarter of 2013;
Revenues totaled $867.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, representing a 24.6 percent increase from $696.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2013;
Closings increased 14.3 percent to 2,489 units for the fourth quarter of 2014 from 2,178 units for the same period in the prior year;
Average closing price increased 7.6 percent to $338,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, from $314,000 for the same period in 2013;
New orders increased 8.3 percent to 1,547 units for the fourth quarter of 2014 from 1,428 units for the fourth quarter of 2013, and new order dollars rose 14.3 percent to $536.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2014 from $469.4 million for the same period in 2013;
Active communities increased 21.0 percent to 351 communities at December 31, 2014, from 290 communities at December 31, 2013;
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled $580.0 million at December 31, 2014, compared to $631.2 million at December 31, 2013; and
Net debt-to-capital ratio was 43.1 percent at December 31, 2014, compared to 45.8 percent at December 31, 2013.
RESULTS FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 2014

For the quarter ended December 31, 2014, the Company reported net income of $71.7 million, or $1.26 per diluted share, compared to $72.2 million, or $1.27 per diluted share, for the same period in 2013. The decrease in net income was due to a $25.9 million tax benefit related to a reversal of the Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance during the fourth quarter of 2013, which also restored income tax expense in 2014.

The homebuilding segments reported pretax earnings of $116.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to $80.1 million for the same period in 2013. This increase in pretax earnings was primarily due to a rise in revenues; higher housing gross profit margin; and a reduced selling, general and administrative expense ratio.

Homebuilding revenues increased 24.7 percent to $853.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2014 from $685.0 million for the same period in 2013. This rise in homebuilding revenues was primarily attributable to a 14.3 percent increase in closings that totaled 2,489 units for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, compared to 2,178 units for the same period in the prior year, as well as to a 7.6 percent rise in average closing price, which was $338,000 for the fourth quarter of 2014, versus $314,000 for the same period in 2013. Homebuilding revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014 included $11.9 million from land sales, which resulted in pretax earnings of $4.2 million, compared to homebuilding revenues for the fourth quarter of 2013 that included $778,000 from land sales, which resulted in pretax earnings of $84,000.

New orders increased 8.3 percent to 1,547 units for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, from 1,428 units for the same period in 2013. The Company had an average monthly sales absorption rate of 1.5 homes per community for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, versus 1.7 homes per community for the quarter ended December 31, 2013, and an average cancellation rate of 21.8 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, versus 20.0 percent for the same period in 2013. For the fourth quarter of 2014, new order dollars increased 14.3 percent to $536.7 million from $469.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2013. At December 31, 2014, backlog was flat at 2,617 units, compared to 2,626 units at December 31, 2013. The dollar value of the Company's backlog was $919.0 million at December 31, 2014, reflecting a 7.5 percent rise from $854.8 million at December 31, 2013.

Housing gross profit margin was 22.3 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2014, compared to 21.9 percent for the quarter ended December 31, 2013. This improvement in housing gross profit margin was primarily attributable to higher leverage of direct overhead expense. Sales incentives and price concessions totaled 7.0 percent of housing revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to 6.3 percent for the same period in 2013.

Selling, general and administrative expense totaled 9.9 percent of homebuilding revenues for the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to 11.4 percent for the fourth quarter of 2013. This decrease in the selling, general and administrative expense ratio was primarily attributable to higher leverage that resulted from increased revenues.

The homebuilding segments recorded no interest expense during the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to $238,000 during the fourth quarter of 2013. This decrease in interest expense from the fourth quarter of 2013 was primarily due to the capitalization of all interest incurred during the fourth quarter of 2014, which resulted from a higher level of inventory under development.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2014, the financial services segment reported pretax earnings of $6.1 million, compared to $2.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2013. This increase in pretax earnings was primarily attributable to higher locked loan pipeline and origination volume during the fourth quarter of 2014, compared to the same period in the prior year, and to lower indemnification expense.

ANNUAL RESULTS FOR 2014

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company reported net income of $175.8 million, or $3.09 per diluted share, compared to $379.2 million, or $6.79 per diluted share, for the same period in 2013. The decrease in net income was primarily due to a $258.9 million tax benefit related to a reversal of the Company's deferred tax asset valuation allowance in 2013, which also restored income tax expense in 2014.

The homebuilding segments reported pretax earnings of $303.5 million for 2014, compared to $201.8 million for the same period in 2013. This increase in pretax earnings was primarily due to a rise in revenues; higher housing gross profit margin; a reduced selling, general and administrative expense ratio; and a decline in interest expense.

Homebuilding revenues increased 23.0 percent to $2.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2014, from $2.1 billion for the same period in 2013. This rise in homebuilding revenues was primarily attributable to a 9.3 percent increase in closings that totaled 7,677 units for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to 7,027 units for the same period in the prior year, as well as to a 12.5 percent rise in average closing price, which was $333,000 for the year ended December 31, 2014, versus $296,000 for the same period in 2013. Homebuilding revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014, included $13.9 million from land sales, which resulted in pretax earnings of $4.6 million, compared to homebuilding revenues for the same period in 2013 that included $6.5 million from land sales, which resulted in pretax earnings of $1.7 million.

New orders increased 5.6 percent to 7,668 units for the year ended December 31, 2014, from 7,262 units for the same period in 2013. The Company had an average monthly sales absorption rate of 2.0 homes per community for the year ended December 31, 2014, versus 2.3 homes per community for the year ended December 31, 2013, and an average cancellation rate of 18.9 percent for the year ended December 31, 2014, versus 17.7 percent for the same period in 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2014, new order dollars increased 15.2 percent to $2.6 billion from $2.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2013.

Housing gross profit margin was 21.8 percent for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to 20.8 percent for the year ended December 31, 2013. This improvement in housing gross profit margin was primarily attributable to a relative decline in direct construction costs. For the year ended December 31, 2014, sales incentives and price concessions totaled 6.7 percent of housing revenues, compared to 6.8 percent for the same period in 2013.

Selling, general and administrative expense totaled 11.2 percent of homebuilding revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to 12.2 percent for the year ended December 31, 2013. This decrease in the selling, general and administrative expense ratio was primarily attributable to higher leverage that resulted from increased revenues.

The homebuilding segments recorded no interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2014, compared to $8.4 million during the same period in 2013. This decrease in interest expense from the twelve months of 2013 was primarily due to the capitalization of all interest incurred during the twelve months of 2014, which resulted from a higher level of inventory under development.

For the year ended December 31, 2014, the financial services segment reported pretax earnings of $7.4 million, compared to $20.1 million for the same period in 2013. This decline in pretax earnings was primarily attributable to a decrease in locked loan pipeline volume, which was due, in part, to the reversal of the accelerated timing of loan locks during 2013; an increase in litigation expense; and higher expense related to a change in estimate of ultimate insurance loss liability.

DEBT MATURITY IN JANUARY 2015

The Company used existing cash of $126.5 million to settle its 5.4 percent senior notes that matured in January 2015.

Headquartered in Southern California, Ryland is one of the nation's largest homebuilders and a leading mortgage-finance company. Since its founding in 1967, Ryland has built more than 315,000 homes and financed more than 225,000 mortgages. The Company currently operates in 17 states across the country and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RYL." For more information, please visit www.ryland.com.

Note: Certain statements in this press release may be regarded as "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and may qualify for the safe harbor provided for in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements represent the Company's expectations and beliefs concerning future events, and no assurance can be given that the future results described in this press release will be achieved. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of statements that include words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "foresee," "goal," "intend," "likely," "may," "plan," "project," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words or phrases. All forward-looking statements contained herein are based upon information available to the Company on the date of this press release. Except as may be required under applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The factors and assumptions upon which any forward-looking statements herein are based are subject to risks and uncertainties which include, among others:

economic changes nationally or in the Company's local markets, including volatility and increases in interest rates, the impact of, and changes in, governmental stimulus, tax and deficit reduction programs, inflation, changes in consumer demand and confidence levels and the state of the market for homes in general;
changes and developments in the mortgage lending market, including revisions to underwriting standards for borrowers and lender requirements for originating and holding mortgages, changes in government support of and participation in such market, and delays or changes in terms and conditions for the sale of mortgages originated by the Company;
the availability and cost of land and the future value of land held or under development;
increased land development costs on projects under development;
shortages of skilled labor or raw materials used in the production of homes;
increased prices for labor, land and materials used in the production of homes;
increased competition;
failure to anticipate or react to changing consumer preferences in home design;
increased costs and delays in land development or home construction resulting from adverse weather conditions or other factors;
potential delays or increased costs in obtaining necessary permits as a result of changes to laws, regulations or governmental policies (including those that affect zoning, density, building standards, the environment and the residential mortgage industry);
delays in obtaining approvals from applicable regulatory agencies and others in connection with the Company's communities and land activities;
changes in the Company's effective tax rate and assumptions and valuations related to its tax accounts;
the risk factors set forth in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly report on Form 10-Q; and
other factors over which the Company has little or no control.

Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/ryland-reports-results-for-the-fourth-quarter-of-2014-20150129-00441#ixzz3QEA0laru
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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

From SA:

"Orders and prices higher at Ryland Group

Oct 23 2014, 10:23 ET | About: Ryland Group Inc. (RYL) | By: Stephen Alpher, SA News Editor Contact this editor with comments or a news tip

Pretax earnings of $78.9M up 46.2% Y/Y. Net income of $48.5M or $0.85 per share.Closings of 2,018 units up 7.2% Y/Y, with ASP of $331K up 11.1%.Housing gross profit margin of 22.2% up 160 basis points.New Orders (excluding backlog acquired from Cornell Homes in July) up 13.6% in units, up 19.6% in dollars.Backlog up 5.4% in units to 3,559, up 14.5% in dollars to $1.2B.Active communities up 15.1% to 327. Controlled lots up 7% to 41,476.860K shares repurchased during quarter.Previously: Ryland Group beats by $0.05, misses on revenueRYL -0.55%"

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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

JP Morgan Still Likes Housing

Tim Biggam, Registered Representative of TradingBlock,
Member FINRA, SIPC September 09, 2014 4:07 PM

In a note out Tuesday, analyst Michael Rehaut of JP Morgan provided an update on homebuilder stocks through year-end.

While still bullish, Rehaut has taken a more guarded stance, as noted in the quote below:

"More broadly, we expect the housing recovery to resume at a moderate pace over at least the next 2-3 years (assuming rates increase at a modest and measured pace), driven by continued job growth and a further modest easing of credit standards."

The firm revised price targets and ratings on the housing stocks, with some notables below:

The Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE: RYL)- previous price target $43 - new price target $47 (Overweight)

Read more: http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/14/09/4836956/jp-morgan-still-likes-housing#ixzz3CvlPjIuj
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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

U.S. housing starts surge 15.7% in July

Published: Aug 19, 2014 8:30 a.m. ET

By
JEFFRY
BARTASH
REPORTER

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Construction on new U.S. homes jumped 15.7% in July to the highest level in eight months and starts were revised up sharply for June, indicating a pickup in home building after an early-year lull. Housing starts climbed to an annual rate of 1.09 million last month from 973,000 in June, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Initially, the government had reported a big plunge in starts in June, but the revised data shows a much smaller drop. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected starts to climb to a seasonally adjusted 975,000 in July. Permits for new construction, a sign of future demand, rose 8.1% to an annual rate of 1.05 million from 973,000 in June. Permits for single-family homes, which account for three-quarters of the housing market, edged up 0.9% to an annual rate of 640,000 in July. That's the highest level since December. Permits for multi-family units of five or more surged 23.6% to 382,000, the fatest pace since January 2006.
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http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-housing-starts-surge-157-in-july-2014-08-19

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

The Ryland Group Stock Rating Reaffirmed by Citigroup Inc. (RYL)

Posted by Nolan Pearson on Aug 18th, 2014 // 0 Comments

The Ryland Group, Inc. logoCitigroup Inc. restated their neutral rating on shares of The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) in a report issued on Monday. They currently have a $38.00 target price on the stock, down from their previous target price of $43.00.
Shares of The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) traded up 2.25% on Monday, hitting $35.48. 426,979 shares of the company’sstock traded hands. The Ryland Group has a 52 week low of $31.22 and a 52 week high of $46.67. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $36.49 and its 200-day moving average is $39.24. The company has a market cap of $1.665 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.87.
The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 31st. The company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $577.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $618.51 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that The Ryland Group will post $2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which is scheduled for Thursday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, October 15th will be given a dividend of $0.03 per share. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.35%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, October 10th.
RYL has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports. Analysts at Zacks downgraded shares of The Ryland Group from a neutral rating to an underperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. They now have a $31.30 price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an overweight rating on shares of The Ryland Group in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. They now have a $43.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $50.50. Finally, analysts at Credit Suisse reiterated a neutral rating on shares of The Ryland Group in a research note on Monday, August 4th. They now have a $43.00 price target on the stock, down previously from $44.00. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. The Ryland Group has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $43.70.
The Ryland Group, Inc, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (NYSE:RYL) provide mortgage financing and related services.
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http://www.wkrb13.com/markets/358085/the-ryland-group-stock-rating-reaffirmed-by-citigroup-inc-ryl/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Home-builder confidence highest in seven months: NAHB

Published: Aug 18, 2014 9:55 a.m. ET

By
RUTH
MANTELL
ECONOMICS REPORTER

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- A gauge of confidence among home builders rose in August to the highest level in seven months, increasing two points to 55, according to National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo data released Monday. Readings above 50 signal that builders, generally, are optimistic about sales trends. August marks the second consecutive month of above-50 readings. Recent optimism among builders is due to job growth and low mortgage rates, among other factors, according to NAHB. NAHB's gauge of builders' views on upcoming sales of single-family homes rose two points to 65 in August, while a barometer of builders' views on present sales rose two points to 58. A gauge of prospective-buyer traffic increased three points to 42.
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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

The Ryland Group Price Target Increased to $48.00 by Analysts at Barclays (RYL)

July 2nd, 2014 - 0 comments - Filed Under - by Nicole Kennedy
Share on StockTwits

Equities research analysts at Barclays increased their price target on shares of The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) from $45.00 to $48.00 in a research note issued to investors on Monday. The firm currently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Barclays’ target price would indicate a potential upside of 20.30% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Analysts at Zacks upgraded shares of The Ryland Group from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. They now have a $38.60 price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at Compass Point reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of The Ryland Group in a research note on Monday, April 28th. They now have a $50.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Zelman & Associates upgraded shares of The Ryland Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, April 25th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $45.80.

Shares of The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) opened at 39.91 on Monday. The Ryland Group has a 1-year low of $33.04 and a 1-year high of $46.67. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $37.99 and a 200-day moving average of $40.51. The company has a market cap of $1.872 billion and a P/E ratio of 5.97.

The Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $0.42 EPS for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $489.68 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $474.28 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 30.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that The Ryland Group will post $2.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The Ryland Group, Inc, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (NYSE:RYL) provide mortgage financing and related services.
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http://www.watchlistnews.com/the-ryland-group-price-target-increased-to-48-00-by-analysts-at-barclays-ryl/51969/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Why the home-construction report is better than you think

June 17, 2014, 10:31 AM ET

Here’s why Tuesday’s data on home construction is better than you think: A key reading on builders’ plans to build single-family homes rose last month, signaling that the market may soon resume a rebound that stalled over the winter.

The headline number from the housing report showed that the construction pace on new U.S. homes fell 6.5% in May, missing Wall Street’s estimates. However, a crucial data nugget in the report, the series on permits, showed that the pace of builders’ plans to build single-family homes — a leading indicator for construction — rose 3.7% last month, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

“We think starts will rebound in June. One decent month for [single-family] permits is not a trend, but we think that the downward trend of the fall and winter is over, for now,” Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, wrote in a research note.

Such a take on the housing data dovetails well with a recent home-builder survey showing that they perked up quite a bit recently, though there’s still some pessimism. It remains tough for borrowers to get a mortgage, and home prices and interest rates have said goodbye to 2013’s ultra-low levels. Still, trends in job growth signal that the labor market is healing, a top factor in many families’ decisions over whether to buy a home.

And here’s an important reason to pay particular attention to the data on permits rather than construction starts. Statistically, the government is much more confident in the data on permits than the data on housing starts. For May, the government estimated that the 3.7% rise in the pace of single-family-home permits had a confidence interval of plus or minus 1.2%, meaning that the government is pretty sure that permits rose last month. But the confidence interval for the 6.5% drop in housing starts was plus or minus 10.2%, indicating that the government isn’t sure whether the pace of home construction actually fell last month.

It’s worth noting that despite May’s rise in building permits for one-family homes, plans to build are far below historical levels. Over the decade leading up to a 2005 peak for single-family-home permits, the average pace was almost 1.3 million, 52% higher than from May’s rate.

The pace of permits for apartments did fall last month. However, economists prefer to see more construction made up by single-family homes because building one single-family home costs more and creates more jobs than constructing a single apartment.

–Ruth Mantell
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http://blogs.marketwatch.com/capitolreport/2014/06/17/why-the-home-construction-report-is-better-than-you-think/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Short Interest In Ryland Group Increases 29.8%

STOCKS 5/28/2014 @ 2:49PM 17 views

The most recent short interest data has been released by the NASDAQ for the 05/15/2014 settlement date, which shows a 1,817,299 share increase in total short interest for Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE: RYL), to 7,912,503, an increase of 29.82% since 04/30/2014. Total short interest is just one way to look at short data; another metric that we here at Dividend Channel find particularly useful is the “days to cover” metric because it considers both the total shares short and the average daily volume of shares traded. The number of shares short is then compared to the average daily volume, in order to calculate the total number of trading days (at the average volume) it would take to close out all of the open short positions if every share traded represented a short position being closed. Average daily volume for RYL at the 05/15/2014 settlement decreased to 1,021,984, as compared to 1,409,486 at the 04/30/2014 report. That brought “days to cover” up to 7.74, a 79.04% increase from the 4.32 days to cover calculated at the previous short interest data release.

The below chart shows the historical “days to cover” for RYL at previous short interest release dates:

(click link for tables/charts)

An increased “days to cover” value could indicate that short sellers are using the stock to hedge a long bet elsewhere, or could also mean that short sellers believe the stock will decline in price. When short sellers eventually cover their positions, by definition there must be buying activity because a share that is currently sold short must be purchased to be covered. So investors tend to keep an eye on that “days to cover” metric, because a high value could predict a sharper price increase should the company put out some unexpectedly good news — short sellers might then rush to cover their positions, and if the “days to cover” number is high, it would then be more difficult to close those positions without sending the stock higher (until the higher price produces enough sellers to generate the necessary volume the short sellers need to close their positions).

The chart below shows the one year performance of RYL shares, versus its 200 day moving average. Looking at this chart, RYL’s low point in its 52 week range is $33.04 per share, with $49.85 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $37.68.

Ryland Group, Inc. Chart

According to the ETF Finder at ETFChannel.com, RYL makes up 3.40% of the iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF (ITB) which is higher by about 0.1% on the day Wednesday.
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/dividendchannel/2014/05/28/short-interest-in-ryland-group-increases-29-8/

RYL

[jimblob]

Look for 52 week test in next 3 weeks. Imo

[chmcnfunds]

Existing-home sales rise 6.5% in July

Aug. 21, 2013, 10:00 a.m. EDT
By Ruth Mantell

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) --

July's existing-home sales rose 6.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.39 million, the highest level since late 2009, when buyers rushed to make a tax-credit deadline, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a July sales rate of 5.21 million, compared with an originally estimated rate of 5.08 million in June. On Wednesday, NAR revised June's rate to 5.06 million. NAR said July's spike is due to buyers looking to purchase a home before mortgage rates rise further. Mortgage rates have increased more than one percentage point since early May, though they remain relatively low. Also Wednesday, NAR said the median price of a home was $213,500 in July, up 13.7% from the year-earlier level. Inventories rose 5.6% to 2.28 million homes available for sale, representing a 5.1-month supply at current sales rates. NAR added that all-cash deals remained high in July, while there were relatively few first-time buyers and distressed sales.

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: M.D.C. Holdings, Ryland Group and Meritage Homes

CHICAGO, Aug. 19, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ --

Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Features: M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:MDC-Free Report), Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE:RYL-Free Report) and Meritage Homes (NYSE:MTH-Free Report).

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101027/ZIRLOGO)

Value Investors: Buy Housing Now

Housing stocks were the darling of 2012 and started off 2013 on a hot streak. But in May, the stocks peaked and it's been downhill ever since even though many of the homebuilders have reported better than expected earnings and the year over year earnings growth is expected to be phenomenal.

What gives?

The homebuilders are a classic case of what was once hot is now not.

But the sell off has created an opportunity for the savvy value investor.

In May, many were concerned about excessive valuations of the homebuilders as they hit new highs, but that's not the case now that the stocks have plunged. Far from it.

There's plenty of value to be found in many of the homebuilders. Not only that, you can get double digit earnings growth and an attractive Zacks Rank.

If you loved the homebuilder stocks as they were going up just a few months ago, now's your chance to get them while they're cheap.

Homebuilders are Confident

If anything, the fundamentals in the sector have actually improved since the stocks peaked in the spring. On Aug 15, the Homebuilders Confidence Index hit an 8-year high as it rose to 59 from 56 in July. The homebuilders haven't been this confident since the housing boom and bubble years.

They have a reason to be confident. Housing inventories, both new and existing, are running a multi-year lows in most major markets yet low interest rates and record stock prices, which have boosted confidence, have spurred buyers.

The builders are buying land again and have pricing power in many states.

One fly in the ointment may be rising mortgage rates, but even at 5%, mortgage rates would still be near all-time lows. Homebuyers have been in hibernation for 7 years. 2013 has been the first year where buyers have appeared and the demand has not been temporary.

The homebuilders believe the momentum will continue into 2014. The pieces are in place. We're in the early stages of the housing recovery.

There will be hiccups. But now is a chance to get some of the homebuilders at incredible prices.

3 Best Values in Housing Ryland Group Inc.



2. Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE:RYL-Free Report) Ryland is one of the most recognizable homebuilders in the country. It operates in 14 states.

On July 24, it reported second quarter results where revenue soared 67.8% year over year. New orders rose 56.7% to 2,191 from 1,398 in the second quarter of last year. The average closing price jumped 13% to $287,000.

For the first six months of 2013, gross profit margin was 20%, up from 18.2% for the same period in 2012.

Housing gross profit margin was 20.0 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2013, compared to 18.2 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2012.

Forward P/E = 5.2 P/B = 2.0 P/S = 1.2 2013 expected earnings growth of 558% Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/19/5662516/zacks-investment-ideas-feature.html#storylink=cpy
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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Sector Snap: Homebuilder stocks trade higher
August 15, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of homebuilders rose Thursday as an analyst maintained an optimistic view on a recovery in the housing market.

The stocks shrugged off a decline in the broader market, as the S&P 500 slipped 1.4 percent to 1,662 in afternoon trading. Analyst Jay McCanless said around 836,000 new homes are expected to be started this year, and starts will climb over the next few years as unemployment decreases.

"We anticipate the current housing recovery should peak in 2015 with total housing starts of 1.3 to 1.4 million that year," he said. McCanless says Ryland Group Inc. and Meritage Homes Corp. are his top picks in the sector. He rates both stocks at "Buy,"
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RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Raised today to Market Perform by Raymond James.

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Fought back today and heading higher. Lot of room until strong resistance at ~ $41.70:



RYL

[chmcnfunds]

UBS AG Upgrades Ryland Group to “Buy” (RYL)

July 31st, 2013 - 0 comments - Filed Under - by admin

Ryland Group Inc. logoRyland Group (NYSE:RYL) was upgraded by analysts at UBS AG from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, TheFlyOnTheWall.com reports. The firm currently has a $48.00 target price on the stock, up from their previous target price of $42.00. UBS AG’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 25.03% from the stock’s previous close.

Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) traded down 0.31% on Tuesday, hitting $38.27. Ryland Group has a 52-week low of $23.04 and a 52-week high of $50.42. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently $40.33. The company has a market cap of $1.766 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.09.

Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $492.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $492.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. Ryland Group’s revenue was up 67.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Ryland Group will post $5.40 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Barclays Capital cut their price target on shares of Ryland Group from $50.00 to $40.00 in a research note to investors on Friday, July 26th. They now have an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Separately, analysts at ISI Group upgraded shares of Ryland Group from a “neutral” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note to investors on Friday, July 26th. They now have a $48.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at MKM Partners upgraded shares of Ryland Group to a “neutral” rating in a research note to investors on Friday, July 26th.

Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Ryland Group presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $49.29.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which is scheduled for Wednesday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, October 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.03 per share. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.31%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, October 10th.

The Ryland Group, Inc, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (NYSE:RYL) provide mortgage financing and related services.

The Fly On The Wall
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http://www.watchlistnews.com/2013/07/31/ubs-ag-upgrades-ryland-group-to-buy-ryl/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Ryland raised to BUY by S&P Capital.

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Ryland raised to BUY by UBS.

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Has happened now two days in a row. About 4:45 or so there is a buy which is low and much lower than the current bids. All AH trades have been between $38.488 and 38.50. Suddenly there is a trade at $38.12 for 1400 shares. Currently there are three bids @ $38.50. No indication that the trade was a t-trade.

No matter what stock there seems no recourse from being messed with by MMs.

RYL

EDIT: finally shows up as a t-trade. Still raises questions.

[chmcnfunds]

Ryland Group Upgraded to “Neutral” at MKM Partners (RYL)

Posted by: Hossein Forouzandeh Posted date: July 26, 2013

Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) was upgraded by research analysts at MKM Partners to a “neutral” rating in a report released on Friday, Stock Ratings Network.com reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Analysts at Compass Point cut their price target on shares of Ryland Group from $54.00 to $49.50 in a research note to investors on Thursday. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock. Separately, analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. initiated coverage on shares of Ryland Group in a research note to investors on Monday, June 24th. They set a “conviction-buy” rating and a $51.00 price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Sterne Agee raised their price target on shares of Ryland Group from $52.00 to $60.00 in a research note to investors on Friday, May 24th. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.

Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Ryland Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.50.

Shares of Ryland Group (NYSE: RYL) traded up 3.53% during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $39.06. Ryland Group has a 52 week low of $23.04 and a 52 week high of $50.42. The stock’s 50-day moving average is currently $40.6. The company has a market cap of $1.802 billion and a P/E ratio of 27.99.

Ryland Group (NYSE:RYL) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 24th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the analysts’ consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $492.99 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $492.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.14 earnings per share. Ryland Group’s revenue was up 67.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Ryland Group will post $2.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Ryland Group, Inc, is a homebuilders and a mortgage-finance company. In addition, Ryland Mortgage Company and its subsidiaries, and RMC Mortgage Corporation (NYSE: RYL) provide mortgage financing and related services.
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http://www.mideasttime.com/ryland-group-upgraded-to-neutral-at-mkm-partners-ryl/34270/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

6/24/2013 Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Initiated Coverage Ryland Group Inc. (RYL) Buy Conviction-Buy $51.00 (New Price Target)
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http://www.analystratings.net/stocks/ryl/

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

Ryland Group Earnings: Here’s Why Investors are Excited Now

By Derek Hoffman | More Articles
July 24, 2013
Ryland Group Inc. (NYSE:RYL) delivered a profit and beat Wall Street’s expectations, AND beat the revenue expectation. The revenue beat is a positive sign to shareholders seeking high growth out of the company. Shares are up 3.42%.

Markets are at 5-year highs! Discover the best stocks to own. Click here for our fresh Feature Stock Pick now!
Ryland Group Inc. Earnings Cheat Sheet
Results: Adjusted Earnings Per Share increased 471.43% to $0.8 in the quarter versus EPS of $0.14 in the year-earlier quarter.

Revenue: Rose 67.81% to $492.99 million from the year-earlier quarter.

Actual vs. Wall St. Expectations: Ryland Group Inc. reported adjusted EPS income of $0.8 per share. By that measure, the company beat the mean analyst estimate of $0.64. It beat the average revenue estimate of $492.75 million.

Key Stats (on next page)…
Revenue increased 31.58% from $374.68 million in the previous quarter. EPS increased 86.05% from $0.43 in the previous quarter.

Looking Forward: Analysts have a more positive outlook for the company’s next-quarter performance. Over the past three months, the average estimate for next quarter’s earnings has risen from a profit of $0.69 to a profit $0.83. For the current year, the average estimate has moved up from a profit of $2.33 to a profit of $2.88 over the last ninety days.
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http://wallstcheatsheet.com/stocks/ryland-group-earnings-heres-why-investors-are-excited-now.html/?a=viewall

RYL

[chmcnfunds]

So why is Ryland off ~8% today?

Quote:
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Ryland Group, Inc. (RYL) Tops Q2 EPS by 16c, Sales In-Line

Ryland Group, Inc. (NYSE: RYL) reported Q2 EPS of $0.80, ex-items, $0.16 better than the analyst estimate of $0.64. Revenue for the quarter came in at $493 million versus the consensus estimate of $492.8 million.

New orders increased 56.7 percent to 2,191 units for the second quarter of 2013 from 1,398 units for the second quarter of 2012. New order dollars rose 77.9 percent to $676.7 million for the second quarter of 2013 from $380.3 million for the same period in 2012;

Closings increased 48.8 percent to 1,659 units for the quarter ended June 30, 2013, compared to 1,115 units for the same period in the prior year.

Backlog rose 61.0 percent to 3,667 units at June 30, 2013, from 2,277 units at June 30, 2012;
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http://www.streetinsider.com/Earnings/Ryland+Group,+Inc.+(RYL)+Tops+Q2+EPS+by+16c,+Sales+In-Line/8528876.html

RYL

[ECole]

Deutsche-Bank-2013-Global-Industrials-and-Basic-Materials-Conference

Read here
http://www.earningsimpact.com/Transcript/82069/RYL/The-Ryland-Group%2c-Inc----Deutsche-Bank-2013-Global-Industrials-and-Basic-Materials-Conference

[profiteer11]

Boy was that right on!!!

[profiteer11]

From Seeking Alpha

http://seekingalpha.com/article/1446371-ryland-2-major-reasons-why-this-homebuilder-is-at-least-30-overvalued

Ryland: 2 Major Reasons Why This Homebuilder Is At Least 30% Overvalued

[jimblob]

Ok. Orlando sold 56 homes this month. That's with only 10 locations. Do the math.