For the quarter ended September 2026, PulteGroup (PHM Quick QuotePHM - Free Report) reported revenue of $3.97 billion, down 9.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $2.53, compared to $2.96 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -3.85% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.13 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $2.63, the EPS surprise was -3.8%.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how PulteGroup performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Average selling price - Total: $561.00 versus the four-analyst average estimate of $553.58.
• Net new orders - units - Total: 6,208 versus 6,953 estimated by four analysts on average.
• Average active communities: 1,077 compared to the 1,043 average estimate based on four analysts.
• Closings (units) - Total: 6,876 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 7,226.
• Unit backlog - Total: 10,298 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 10,693.
• Backlog dollars - Total: $6.44 billion compared to the $6.58 billion average estimate based on two analysts.
• Net new orders - dollars - Total: $3.5 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $3.73 billion.
• Homebuilding Revenues- Home sale revenues: $3.86 billion versus $3.99 billion estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9.2% change.
• Revenues- Financial Services: $107.03 million versus $98.73 million estimated by five analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +3.7% change.
• Homebuilding Revenues: $3.87 billion versus the five-analyst average estimate of $4.03 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -10.1%.
• Homebuilding Revenues- Land sale and other revenues: $7.79 million versus $50.49 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -85.4% change.
• Income / (loss) before income taxes- Financial Services: $45.56 million compared to the $38.01 million average estimate based on four analysts.

View all Key Company Metrics for PulteGroup here>>>

Shares of PulteGroup have returned -4.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's no change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.