Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Reaches New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday after B. Riley Financial upgraded the stock from a neutral rating to a buy rating. B. Riley Financial now has a $18.00 price target on the stock. Whitestone REIT traded as high as $15.75 and last traded at $15.75, with a volume of 8904 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $15.02.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on WSR. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Maxim Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Whitestone REIT to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on Whitestone REIT in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $16.80.

Whitestone REIT Trading Up 3.6%

The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $14.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $13.41. The firm has a market capitalization of $793.87 million, a P/E ratio of 16.38 and a beta of 0.77.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.15. The company had revenue of $43.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $41.27 million. Whitestone REIT had a net margin of 31.04% and a return on equity of 11.23%. Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.100-1.140 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Whitestone REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a dividend of $0.1425 per share. This represents a $0.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.16%.

Whitestone REIT announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that allows the company to buyback $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

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.