Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ) Stock Now Rated "Moderate Buy" by Wall Street Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is moderately bullish: Nine brokerages rate Cousins Properties “Moderate Buy,” with seven buys and two holds. The average 12-month price target is $31.50, above the reported share price of $27.73.
• Recent results were mixed: Cousins Properties reported quarterly revenue of $268.53 million, up 11.8% year over year and ahead of estimates, but earnings per share of $0.16 missed the $0.74 consensus forecast.
• Dividend and ownership profile: The company paid a quarterly dividend of $0.32, equivalent to a 4.6% annualized yield, while institutional investors own 94.38% of outstanding shares. An executive recently sold 6,033 shares.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the nine brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $31.50.

CUZ has been the subject of several analyst reports. Truist Financial raised their target price on Cousins Properties from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Cousins Properties in a research report on Tuesday, September 22nd. Barclays upped their price target on Cousins Properties from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on Cousins Properties from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Mizuho set a $34.00 price target on Cousins Properties in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CAO Jeffrey Symes sold 6,033 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.44, for a total value of $177,611.52. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 16,685 shares in the company, valued at $491,206.40. This represents a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.81% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Cousins Properties

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CUZ. Pension & Wealth Management Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Cousins Properties in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cousins Properties by 92.3% in the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,573 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 755 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Cousins Properties in the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Nykredit A S acquired a new stake in shares of Cousins Properties during the second quarter worth $59,000. Finally, SJS Investment Consulting Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Cousins Properties during the first quarter worth $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.38% of the company's stock.

Cousins Properties Price Performance

CUZ stock opened at $27.73 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 693.55, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $28.45 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83, a quick ratio of 1.01 and a current ratio of 1.01. Cousins Properties has a 52-week low of $21.03 and a 52-week high of $32.95.

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.16 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.74 by ($0.58). Cousins Properties had a return on equity of 0.14% and a net margin of 0.62%. The business had revenue of $268.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $263.55 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.70 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Cousins Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.920-2.980 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Cousins Properties will post 2.97 EPS for the current year.

Cousins Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, October 15th. Investors of record on Monday, October 5th were paid a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, October 5th. Cousins Properties's payout ratio is currently 3,200.00%.

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated NYSE: CUZ is a self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust that owns, develops, and manages primarily Class A office properties. The company focuses on high-quality buildings designed to serve businesses across a range of industries, with services that include property management, leasing, development, and asset operations.

Founded in 1958 by Thomas G. Cousins, the company has developed a longstanding presence in the commercial real estate industry.

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