Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) versus Piedmont Realty Trust (NYSE:PDM) Head-To-Head Contrast

Piedmont Realty Trust (NYSE:PDM) and Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) are both real estate companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends and risk.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Piedmont Realty Trust and Cousins Properties”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Piedmont Realty Trust	$564.99 million	1.96	-$83.62 million	($0.65)	-13.64
Cousins Properties	$993.82 million	4.48	$40.50 million	$0.04	676.45

Cousins Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Piedmont Realty Trust. Piedmont Realty 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.

Volatility and Risk

Piedmont Realty Trust has a beta of 1.39, indicating that its share price is 39% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.19, indicating that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Piedmont Realty Trust and Cousins Properties’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Piedmont Realty Trust	-14.18%	-5.39%	-2.00%
Cousins Properties	0.62%	0.14%	0.07%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Piedmont Realty Trust and Cousins Properties, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Piedmont Realty Trust	1	2	1	0	2.00
Cousins Properties	0	2	7	0	2.78

Piedmont Realty Trust presently has a consensus target price of $10.67, indicating a potential upside of 20.32%. Cousins Properties has a consensus target price of $31.50, indicating a potential upside of 16.42%. Given Piedmont Realty Trust’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Piedmont Realty Trust is more favorable than Cousins Properties.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

84.5% of Piedmont Realty Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.2% of Piedmont Realty Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.8% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Cousins Properties beats Piedmont Realty Trust on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Piedmont Realty Trust

Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. (also referred to herein as "Piedmont" or the "Company") (NYSE: PDM) is an owner, manager, developer, redeveloper and operator of high-quality, Class A office properties located primarily in major U.S. Sunbelt markets. The Company is a fully-integrated, self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") with local management offices in each of its markets and is investment-grade rated by Standard & Poor's and Moody's. The Company was designated an Energy Star Partner of the Year for 2021, 2022 and 2023, and it was the only office REIT headquartered in the Southeast to receive those designations. Approximately 85% of the Company's square footage is Energy Star certified and nearly 70% is LEED certified. Piedmont is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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.