Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Hits New 52-Week Low After Earnings Miss

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday following a weaker than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as low as $23.73 and last traded at $23.5260, with a volume of 1650971 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $25.99.

The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.84 by ($0.58). Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 6.86% and a net margin of 20.10%.The business had revenue of $203.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $208.08 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.85 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down .9% on a year-over-year basis. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.680 EPS.

Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 10th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th will be issued a $0.50 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.1%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio is 170.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIW has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. 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. Wall Street Zen upgraded Highwoods Properties from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Highwoods Properties from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $29.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $30.75.

Institutional Trading of Highwoods Properties

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Highwoods Properties by 88.6% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Highwoods Properties by 921.4% in the 3rd 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 last quarter. Beacon Financial Strategies CORP acquired a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the 4th quarter worth about $34,000. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the 3rd quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. bought a new position in Highwoods Properties during the 3rd quarter valued at about $49,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.31% of the company’s stock.

Highwoods Properties Stock Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 1.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.13 and a beta of 1.06. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $26.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $28.50.

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.