Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Short Interest Up 21.4% in February

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 629,565 shares, a growth of 21.4% from the January 29th total of 518,526 shares. Approximately 1.3% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 181,739 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 181,739 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.5 days. Approximately 1.3% of the company’s shares are short sold.

Whitestone REIT Stock Down 1.4%

NYSE:WSR opened at $15.00 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $765.30 million, a P/E ratio of 15.79 and a beta of 0.77. Whitestone REIT has a fifty-two week low of $11.43 and a fifty-two week high of $15.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a current ratio of 0.98. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $14.50 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.41.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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 business 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. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that permits the company to repurchase $50.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the real estate investment trust to buy up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Investors of record on Monday, March 16th will be paid a $0.1425 dividend. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. Whitestone REIT’s payout ratio is currently 43.16%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have commented on WSR. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Whitestone REIT to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Monday, December 29th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Whitestone REIT from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Maxim Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have assigned a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Whitestone REIT presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $16.50.

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.