Why M/I Homes Fell Flat Today

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of M/I Homes fell as much as 10% today after the company released earnings.

So what: Revenue jumped 37%, to $234.6 million, in the second quarter, and net income nearly doubled, to $6.05 million, or $0.25 per share. But analysts were expecting $258 million in revenue, and earnings of $0.36 per share, so results were still behind estimates.

Now what: Disappointing results were a theme for homebuilders today, and investors and analysts may have gotten ahead of themselves in expectations for the housing recovery. To make matters worse, interest rates are up, and buyers will be pressured by higher mortgage costs, which could suppress sales going forward. M/I Homes still trades at just nine times forward estimates and is seeing strong growth, so I don't think this report is reason to panic. It may, however, be time to lower expectations a bit for the industry.

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The article Why M/I Homes Fell Flat Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Travis Hoium has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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