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

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

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Highwoods Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, January 17th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 21st. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties from $31.00 to $30.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research 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 target price for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th.

Highwoods Properties Trading Up 0.6%

HIW opened at $25.95 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 1.39. Highwoods Properties has a one year low of $24.18 and a one year high of $32.76. The company has a market cap of $2.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.18 and a beta of 1.06. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.58.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 10th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.06. Highwoods Properties had a net margin of 15.98% and a return on equity of 5.48%. The company had revenue of $203.36 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $208.08 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.85 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.680 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Highwoods Properties will post 3.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be paid a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.7%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 170.94%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Highwoods Properties

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its holdings in Highwoods Properties by 69.7% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 10,943 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $283,000 after acquiring an additional 4,495 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Highwoods Properties by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,132,836 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $29,250,000 after buying an additional 58,771 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Highwoods Properties by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 371,627 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $9,595,000 after purchasing an additional 1,413 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 35.7% during the fourth quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 150,693 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,891,000 after buying an additional 39,652 shares during the period. Finally, Easterly Investment Partners LLC boosted its position in Highwoods Properties by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Easterly Investment Partners LLC now owns 100,510 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $2,595,000 after acquiring an additional 866 shares during the period. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.