Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Upgraded to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Monday morning.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $27.00 price target on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Mizuho cut their target price on Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Citigroup cut their target price on Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $27.78.

Highwoods Properties Stock Performance

Shares of HIW opened at $21.22 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.54 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s fifty day moving average is $24.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.09. Highwoods Properties has a 1 year low of $20.50 and a 1 year high of $32.76.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.58). The firm had revenue of $203.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $208.08 million. Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 20.10%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.85 EPS. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.680 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Highwoods Properties will post 3.36 earnings per share for the current year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.4%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 136.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,203,000. Aew Capital Management L P increased its stake in Highwoods Properties by 95.4% in the 3rd quarter. Aew Capital Management L P now owns 2,344,571 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $74,604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,991 shares in the last quarter. GRS Advisors LLC increased its stake in Highwoods Properties by 64.1% in the 3rd quarter. GRS Advisors LLC now owns 2,046,809 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $65,129,000 after purchasing an additional 799,339 shares in the last quarter. Bayhunt Capital LLC acquired a new position in Highwoods Properties during the fourth quarter worth $13,125,000. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in Highwoods Properties by 88.1% during the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 910,271 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,965,000 after purchasing an additional 426,241 shares during the last quarter. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Highwoods Properties

Highwoods Properties, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, develops, leases and manages office properties. The company’s portfolio is primarily focused on Class A office space, with an emphasis on high-quality buildings in key urban and suburban submarkets. Highwoods seeks to generate long-term, recurring revenues through a mix of in-place lease renewals, strategic dispositions and build-to-suit developments. Its asset management platform drives operational efficiencies and tenant service initiatives across its holdings.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Highwoods Properties has expanded its presence to eight major metropolitan regions across the Southeastern United States and Texas.