Analyzing Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) & Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust (NASDAQ:WHLR)

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust (NASDAQ:WHLR) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Cousins Properties and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cousins Properties	10.33%	1.81%	1.09%
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust	-4.58%	N/A	-0.70%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Cousins Properties and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cousins Properties	$802.87 million	4.15	$82.96 million	$0.55	39.81
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust	$102.32 million	0.10	-$4.69 million	($42.51)	0.00

Cousins Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust. Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cousins Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.3% of Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust shares are held by institutional investors. 1.4% of Cousins Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 51.4% of Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Risk & Volatility

Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.27, indicating that its share price is 27% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust has a beta of 1.68, indicating that its share price is 68% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Cousins Properties and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cousins Properties	2	1	4	0	2.29
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust	0	0	0	0	N/A

Cousins Properties presently has a consensus price target of $23.29, suggesting a potential upside of 6.35%. Given Cousins Properties’ higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust.

Summary

Cousins Properties beats Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated ("Cousins") is a fully integrated, self-administered, and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company, based in Atlanta and acting through its operating partnership, Cousins Properties LP, primarily invests in Class A office buildings located in high-growth Sun Belt markets. Founded in 1958, Cousins creates shareholder value through its extensive expertise in the development, acquisition, leasing, and management of high-quality real estate assets. The Company has a comprehensive strategy in place based on a simple platform, trophy assets, and opportunistic investments.

About Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust

Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. is a fully integrated, self-managed commercial real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and operating income-producing retail properties with a primary focus on grocery-anchored centers.