Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

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

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $29.00 target price on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Mizuho dropped their price objective 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. Truist Financial cut 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, March 17th. Finally, Citigroup decreased 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $27.78.

Highwoods Properties Stock Performance

NYSE:HIW opened at $21.12 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. Highwoods Properties has a fifty-two week low of $20.50 and a fifty-two week high of $32.76. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $23.85 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $26.98. The company has a market capitalization of $2.32 billion, a PE ratio of 14.47 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 17th were given 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 payout ratio is presently 136.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the second quarter valued at approximately $43,203,000. Aew Capital Management L P lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $74,604,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,991 shares in the last quarter. GRS Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of 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 worth $65,129,000 after purchasing an additional 799,339 shares in the last quarter. Bayhunt Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Highwoods Properties in the 4th quarter valued at $13,125,000. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its position in Highwoods Properties by 88.1% in the 3rd quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 910,271 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,965,000 after purchasing 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.