Louisiana State Employees Retirement System Takes $1.04 Million Position in Highwoods Properties, Inc. $HIW

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 48,800 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $1,045,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Highwoods Properties by 88.6% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 792 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares during the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 0.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 98,051 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $3,048,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 3.0% in the fourth quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 19,896 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $514,000 after purchasing an additional 572 shares during the last quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System increased its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 3.3% in the fourth quarter. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System now owns 22,218 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 720 shares during the period. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc increased its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 921.4% in the third quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 858 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 774 shares during the period. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Highwoods Properties Stock Performance

NYSE HIW opened at $31.78 on Friday. Highwoods Properties, Inc. has a twelve month low of $20.45 and a twelve month high of $32.76. The company has a quick ratio of 1.50, a current ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46. The stock has a market cap of $3.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.83 and a beta of 1.07. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $27.31 and its 200 day simple moving average is $25.19.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $214.03 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $209.06 million. Highwoods Properties had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 3.97%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.68 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 22nd that authorizes the company to repurchase $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to repurchase up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Investors of record on Monday, May 18th were given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 18th. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 238.10%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on HIW shares. Truist Financial increased their target price on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings raised Highwoods Properties from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 9th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Highwoods Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $28.00 price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research report on Thursday, May 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Highwoods Properties from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $24.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Highwoods Properties presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.11.

Highwoods Properties Company Profile

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.