Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Short Interest Down 20.5% in April

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest during the month of April. As of April 15th, there was short interest totaling 517,505 shares, a decline of 20.5% from the March 31st total of 650,628 shares. Currently, 1.1% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 1,104,703 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.5 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lowered Whitestone REIT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Colliers Securities set a $19.00 price objective on Whitestone REIT in a research note on Friday, April 10th. B. Riley Financial lowered Whitestone REIT from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Truist Financial lowered Whitestone REIT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and upped their price target for the company from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Whitestone REIT from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, April 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $17.50.

Whitestone REIT Trading Up 0.1%

Shares of WSR stock traded up $0.03 on Friday, hitting $18.97. The stock had a trading volume of 282,195 shares, compared to its average volume of 755,279. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $16.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $14.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Whitestone REIT has a 1 year low of $11.43 and a 1 year high of $19.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $965.32 million, a P/E ratio of 19.96 and a beta of 0.80.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.15. Whitestone REIT had a return on equity of 11.23% and a net margin of 31.04%.The company had revenue of $43.92 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $41.27 million. Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.100-1.140 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Whitestone REIT will post 1.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Whitestone REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 17th will be given a $0.1425 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 17th. This represents a $0.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio is 60.00%.

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.