By Wendy Leibowitz.
| 1. Centex Corp. (for quarter ending March 31, 2003) | |
| gross revenues: $2.08 billion | percent increase: 33% |
| net earnings: $196.67 million | percent change: 67% |
| number of closings: 2,056 | |
| 2. Pulte Homes (for quarter ending March 31, 2003) | |
| gross revenues: $1552.6 billion | percent increase: 11% |
| net earnings: $86.3 million | percent change: 26% |
| number of closings: 5,785 | |
| 3. Meritage Corp. (for quarter ending March 31, 2003) | |
| gross revenues: $283.4 million | percent increase: 67% |
| net earnings: $15.8 million | percent change: 84% |
| number of closings: 1,136 | |
| 4. The Ryland Group (for quarter ending March 31, 2003) | |
| gross revenues: $659.7 million | percent increase: 22.3% |
| net earnings: $38.2 million | percent change: 47% |
| number of closings: 2,950 | |
| 5. KB Home (for quarter ending Feb. 28, 2003) | |
| gross revenues: $1.09 billion | percent increase: 20% |
| net earnings: $52.8 million in 2003 | percent change: 24% |
| number of closings: 5,025 | |
Big builders’ first quarter earnings blew away expectations. For the quarter ending March 31, Centex Corp. announced the highest earnings for any quarter in its history, a 69 percent increase per share compared to a year ago. But Centex was in good and crowded company. For its quarter ending April 30, Toll Brothers reported contracts of $927 million — the highest for any quarter in its company’s history. Almost anywhere you looked, at any indicator, big builders were bursting out all over.
