Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) Hits New 12-Month High – Should You Buy?

Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $31.37 and last traded at $31.6750, with a volume of 8916 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $30.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Cousins Properties from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Cousins Properties from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, June 1st. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of Cousins Properties in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Cousins Properties from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Cousins Properties from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Sunday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Cousins Properties has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $29.82.

Cousins Properties Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.21 and a current ratio of 1.21. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $28.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $25.65. The firm has a market cap of $5.20 billion, a P/E ratio of -1,053.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.19.

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.15) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.06 by ($0.21). The company had revenue of $263.11 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $256.77 million. Cousins Properties had a negative net margin of 0.52% and a negative return on equity of 0.11%. The business’s revenue was up 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.74 EPS. Cousins Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.900-2.980 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Cousins Properties Incorporated will post 2.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Cousins Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, July 6th. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Cousins Properties’s payout ratio is presently -4,266.67%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cousins Properties

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in Cousins Properties by 2,539.5% in the third quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 1,003 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 965 shares during the period. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 128.1% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the period. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Cousins Properties during the first quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Arax Advisory Partners bought a new stake in shares of Cousins Properties during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Finally, Clearstead Advisors LLC grew its stake in Cousins Properties by 176.1% in the fourth quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 1,803 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,150 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.38% of the company’s stock.

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE: CUZ) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the development, acquisition and management of high-quality office and mixed-use properties. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company focuses on urban infill and suburban markets across the Sun Belt, with a strong presence in metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville, Orlando and Tampa. Its core activities encompass full-service property leasing, asset management and construction oversight, serving a diverse mix of corporate and institutional tenants.

Founded in 1958 as a privately held real estate concern, Cousins Properties completed its initial public offering in 1992.