Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Receives Consensus Rating of “Buy” from Brokerages

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) has been given an average recommendation of “Buy” by the five research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.00.

A number of research firms have commented on WSR. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Whitestone REIT from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 18th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on Whitestone REIT in a research report on Tuesday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, December 29th.

Whitestone REIT Trading Down 0.4%

WSR traded down $0.05 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $13.84. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 39,943 shares, compared to its average volume of 194,442. The firm has a market capitalization of $706.12 million, a P/E ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 0.81. Whitestone REIT has a twelve month low of $11.43 and a twelve month high of $14.77. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $13.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $12.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26. Whitestone REIT had a net margin of 28.16% and a return on equity of 10.10%. The company had revenue of $41.05 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.21 million. Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.030-1.070 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Whitestone REIT declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that permits the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.1425 per share. This represents a $0.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio is presently 63.53%.

About Whitestone REIT

Whitestone REIT is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of retail and mixed-use properties. The company’s portfolio is concentrated in high-growth Texas markets, including the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, where it primarily owns open-air neighborhood and community shopping centers. Whitestone REIT focuses on convenience- and necessity-based retail, partnering with grocers, fitness operators, service providers and other essential tenants to drive consistent foot traffic and stable occupancy.

In addition to property ownership, Whitestone REIT provides asset and property management services, leasing expertise and development capabilities.