Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) Upgraded to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Cousins Properties from “sell” to “hold.” Overall analyst sentiment remains positive, with six Buy ratings and three Holds, an average “Moderate Buy” rating, and a $30.91 price target.
• Cousins reported strong operating results, including a 5.9% increase in same-property cash NOI, 9.2% growth in second-generation cash rents, and portfolio occupancy of 92.8%. The company raised its 2026 FFO guidance to $2.92–$2.98 per share.
• Despite the operating improvement, GAAP EPS fell short at $0.16 versus the $0.74 consensus estimate, while shares traded down 1.2%. Investors continue to monitor the durability of the office-market recovery.

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Saturday.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on CUZ. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Cousins Properties from $24.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Barclays lifted their target price on Cousins Properties from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $34.00 target price on shares of Cousins Properties in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Cousins Properties from $28.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Cousins Properties from $27.00 to $33.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $30.91.

Cousins Properties Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:CUZ opened at $31.56 on Friday. Cousins Properties has a 12 month low of $21.03 and a 12 month high of $32.95. The company has a quick ratio of 1.21, a current ratio of 1.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.83. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $29.61 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.18. The firm has a market cap of $5.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 789.15, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.19.

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.74 by ($0.58). The company had revenue of $268.53 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $263.55 million. Cousins Properties had a net margin of 0.62% and a return on equity of 0.14%. The company's revenue was up 11.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.70 earnings per share. Cousins Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.920-2.980 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Cousins Properties will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Farther Finance Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Cousins Properties by 128.1% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. Arax Advisory Partners bought a new position in shares of Cousins Properties in the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Cousins Properties by 92.3% during the second quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,573 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 755 shares during the last quarter. Avalon Trust Co acquired a new position in Cousins Properties during the first quarter worth $39,000. Finally, Danske Bank A S acquired a new stake in Cousins Properties in the third quarter valued at $52,000. 94.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Cousins Properties News

Here are the key news stories impacting Cousins Properties this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Core real estate results were strong: second-quarter funds from operations (FFO) increased to $0.75 per share from $0.70 a year earlier and exceeded the $0.74 consensus estimate. Same-property cash NOI rose 5.9%, while second-generation cash rents increased 9.2%. CUZ Q2 FFO Beats Estimates on Leasing, Revenues Top, Rents Improve
• Positive Sentiment: Leasing momentum improved, with 924,000 square feet of office leases completed during the quarter. Portfolio occupancy reached 92.8%, the highest level since the first quarter of 2020, supporting expectations for continued revenue growth. Cousins Properties Q2 Net Income Rises to $26.2 Million
• Positive Sentiment: Cousins raised the midpoint of its 2026 outlook and now expects FFO of $2.92 to $2.98 per share, broadly consistent with the $2.95 analyst consensus. The company also sold Research Park Plaza V in Austin for $42 million, generating a $9.2 million gain. Cousins Properties Releases Second Quarter 2026 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call highlighted improving leasing conditions and rent growth, but investors may continue to monitor the pace and durability of the office-market recovery. Cousins Properties Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP EPS was $0.16, well below the $0.74 consensus estimate, and declined from $0.70 a year earlier. The sharp difference between GAAP earnings and FFO, the key REIT profitability measure, likely contributed to the weaker market reaction despite the operating beat. Cousins Properties Tops Q2 FFO and Revenue Estimates

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated NYSE: CUZ is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in the development, acquisition and management of high-quality office and mixed-use properties. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company focuses on urban infill and suburban markets across the Sun Belt, with a strong presence in metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Nashville, Orlando and Tampa. Its core activities encompass full-service property leasing, asset management and construction oversight, serving a diverse mix of corporate and institutional tenants.

Founded in 1958 as a privately held real estate concern, Cousins Properties completed its initial public offering in 1992.

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