Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Short Interest Update

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) saw a significant growth in short interest during 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. Based on an average daily volume of 181,739 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.5 days. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Currently, 1.3% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 181,739 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.5 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have commented on WSR shares. Truist Financial increased their price objective on shares of Whitestone REIT from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Whitestone REIT to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Maxim Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Monday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Whitestone REIT presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $16.25.

Whitestone REIT Price Performance

WSR opened at $15.14 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $14.45 and a 200 day moving average of $13.39. The stock has a market cap of $772.44 million, a P/E ratio of 15.94 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Whitestone REIT has a 52-week low of $11.43 and a 52-week high of $15.50.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.15. Whitestone REIT had a net margin of 31.04% and a return on equity of 11.23%. 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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.

Whitestone REIT declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that permits the company to buyback $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the real estate investment trust to reacquire up to 7.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued 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 dividend payout ratio is currently 56.84%.

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.