Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Rating Increased to Buy at B. Riley Financial

B. Riley Financial upgraded shares of Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Friday morning, MarketBeat.com reports. B. Riley Financial currently has $18.00 price objective on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

Several other research firms have also commented on WSR. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised shares of Whitestone REIT to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Maxim Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $16.80.

Whitestone REIT Price Performance

Shares of Whitestone REIT stock traded up $0.96 on Friday, hitting $15.98. 608,394 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 214,397. The company has a quick ratio of 1.74, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $14.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.44. The stock 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $43.92 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $41.27 million. Whitestone REIT had a return on equity of 11.23% and a net margin of 31.04%.Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.100-1.140 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.1425 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 16th. This represents a $0.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.6%. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.16%.

Whitestone REIT announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program 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 purchase up to 7.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.