Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

Shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the eight brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $28.1111.

Several analysts have weighed in on HIW shares. Wall Street Zen raised Highwoods Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Morgan Stanley raised Highwoods Properties from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $24.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 1st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of Highwoods Properties from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 9th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Highwoods Properties

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 88.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 792 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 372 shares during the period. Bell Investment Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Highwoods Properties by 921.4% in the third quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 858 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 774 shares during the period. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Highwoods Properties by 752.0% in the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 940 shares during the period. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP bought a new position in Highwoods Properties during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Highwoods Properties by 292.5% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,680 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 1,252 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.31% of the company’s stock.

Highwoods Properties Trading Up 0.0%

Shares of NYSE:HIW opened at $31.23 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $3.44 billion, a PE ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $28.07 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.40. Highwoods Properties has a fifty-two week low of $20.45 and a fifty-two week high of $32.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.16 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $214.03 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $209.06 million. Highwoods Properties had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 3.97%. Highwoods Properties’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.83 EPS. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.68 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Highwoods Properties will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Highwoods Properties declared that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 22nd that authorizes the company to repurchase $250.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to repurchase up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th were issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.4%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 238.10%.

Highwoods Properties Company Profile

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.