B. Riley Financial Upgrades Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) to “Buy”

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) was upgraded by B. Riley Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, MarketBeat reports. The brokerage currently has a $18.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock. B. Riley Financial’s price objective points to a potential upside of 12.64% from the stock’s previous close.

WSR has been the topic of several other research reports. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH initiated coverage on Whitestone REIT in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on Whitestone REIT from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Maxim Group restated a “hold” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $16.80.

Whitestone REIT Stock Up 6.4%

NYSE WSR opened at $15.98 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 1.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $14.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $13.45. The company has a market capitalization of $815.30 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.82 and a beta of 0.77. Whitestone REIT has a 1-year low of $11.43 and a 1-year high of $16.00.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.15. Whitestone REIT had a return on equity of 11.23% and a net margin of 31.04%.The company 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. Equities analysts forecast that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, December 19th that allows the company to buyback $50.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to repurchase up to 7.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Company Profile

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.