B. Riley Financial Downgrades Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) to Hold

Key Points

• B. Riley Financial downgraded Whitestone REIT (WSR) from a strong-buy to a hold, and the stock's consensus rating is currently Hold with an average analyst target of $17.50 after multiple recent rating changes.
• Whitestone posted quarterly EPS of $0.43 (vs. $0.28 expected) and $43.9M in revenue, and set FY2026 guidance of 1.100–1.140 EPS while sell‑side forecasts for the current year are about 0.99 EPS.
• The board approved a $50 million share repurchase program (about 7.2% of shares), and the REIT focuses on Sun Belt open‑air retail centers in Texas with necessity-based tenants aimed at stable occupancy.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR - Get Free Report) was downgraded by B. Riley Financial from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

WSR has been the subject of several other research reports. Truist Financial lowered Whitestone REIT from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $17.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald raised Whitestone REIT to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Colliers Securities set a $19.00 price target on Whitestone REIT in a research report on Friday. Alliance Global Partners lowered Whitestone REIT from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b-)" rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $17.50.

Whitestone REIT Price Performance

WSR opened at $18.91 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $15.90 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market cap of $962.47 million, a PE ratio of 19.90 and a beta of 0.71. Whitestone REIT has a 1 year low of $11.43 and a 1 year high of $18.95.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.15. The firm had revenue of $43.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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. Sell-side analysts predict that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that allows the company to repurchase $50.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Company Profile

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.

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