Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the eight analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have issued a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $30.75.

HIW has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. New Street Research set a $30.00 target price on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research note on Monday, October 13th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Highwoods Properties from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded Highwoods Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $29.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Highwoods Properties Stock Performance

Highwoods Properties stock opened at $27.25 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.29 and a beta of 1.07. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $26.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.29. Highwoods Properties has a 52-week low of $24.18 and a 52-week high of $32.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 1.39.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.86 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.86. The company had revenue of $201.77 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $205.74 million. Highwoods Properties had a net margin of 15.98% and a return on equity of 5.48%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.90 EPS. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2025 guidance at 3.410-3.45 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Highwoods Properties will post 3.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 9th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. Highwoods Properties’s payout ratio is currently 170.94%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Highwoods Properties

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Congress Asset Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 2.6% in the fourth quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 131,885 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,405,000 after acquiring an additional 3,390 shares during the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its holdings in shares of Highwoods Properties by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 17,089 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $455,000 after purchasing an additional 2,666 shares in the last quarter. Miller Global Investments LLC bought a new position in Highwoods Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,003,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Highwoods Properties by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 772,326 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $24,575,000 after buying an additional 61,443 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its position in Highwoods Properties by 2.7% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 78,922 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $2,511,000 after buying an additional 2,098 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.31% of the company’s stock.

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.