Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Hits New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) reached a new 52-week low on Friday . The stock traded as low as $21.11 and last traded at $21.2150, with a volume of 118033 shares. The stock had previously closed at $21.59.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIW has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Mizuho decreased their price target on Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Truist Financial decreased their target price on Highwoods Properties from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Highwoods Properties from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Sunday, March 15th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $27.78.

Highwoods Properties Trading Down 2.6%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $24.33 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $27.30. The stock has a market cap of $2.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.43 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 1.41, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

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

Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 17th. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio is presently 136.99%.

Institutional Trading of Highwoods Properties

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HIW. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the second quarter worth about $43,203,000. Aew Capital Management L P raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 1,144,991 shares during the last quarter. GRS Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 buying an additional 799,339 shares during the last quarter. Bayhunt Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Highwoods Properties during the 4th quarter worth approximately $13,125,000. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Highwoods Properties by 88.1% during the 3rd quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 910,271 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $28,965,000 after buying an additional 426,241 shares during the period. 96.31% of the stock is 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.