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

Shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eight research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have issued a hold recommendation and two have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $27.7778.

Several research firms have recently weighed in on HIW. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Highwoods Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Mizuho dropped their price target on Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $29.00 price objective on Highwoods Properties in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th.

Highwoods Properties Stock Down 2.1%

Shares of NYSE:HIW opened at $20.60 on Friday. Highwoods Properties has a 52 week low of $20.45 and a 52 week high of $32.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.41. The company’s fifty day moving average is $23.59 and its 200-day moving average is $26.86. The company has a market capitalization of $2.26 billion, a PE ratio of 14.11 and a beta of 1.07.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by ($0.58). Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 20.10%.The firm had revenue of $203.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $208.08 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.85 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .9% compared to the same quarter last year. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.680 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Highwoods Properties will post 3.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.7%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 136.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in Highwoods Properties by 34.6% during the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 221,609 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $5,724,000 after acquiring an additional 56,931 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 9.3% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 44,038 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,137,000 after acquiring an additional 3,748 shares during the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 201.3% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 2,386 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 1,594 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Highwoods Properties during the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,017,000. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 29.3% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 419,028 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $10,819,000 after purchasing an additional 94,858 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.31% of the company’s stock.

About Highwoods Properties

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.