LSV Asset Management Acquires 71,500 Shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. $HIW

Key Points

• LSV Asset Management increased its stake in Highwoods Properties by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, buying 71,500 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 1,187,100 shares worth about $30.7 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly cautious, with Highwoods Properties carrying a consensus "Hold" rating and an average price target of $27.78 after several firms trimmed targets or adjusted ratings.
• The REIT posted solid quarterly results and continues shareholder returns, beating EPS and revenue estimates, paying a $0.50 quarterly dividend, and authorizing a $250 million share repurchase program.

LSV Asset Management lifted its holdings in Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW - Free Report) by 6.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,187,100 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock after purchasing an additional 71,500 shares during the period. LSV Asset Management owned about 1.08% of Highwoods Properties worth $30,651,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 88.6% in 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 purchasing an additional 372 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 31,902 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,015,000 after purchasing an additional 443 shares during the period. Amalgamated Bank lifted its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 32,927 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $1,048,000 after purchasing an additional 467 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System lifted its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 98,051 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $3,048,000 after purchasing an additional 489 shares during the period. Finally, Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Highwoods Properties by 22.8% in the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 3,992 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 742 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.31% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Highwoods Properties from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, March 23rd. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $24.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $25.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Highwoods Properties from an "underweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $24.00 to $23.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Highwoods Properties in a report on Thursday, May 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $27.78.

Highwoods Properties Trading Up 0.1%

Highwoods Properties stock opened at $25.67 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $23.22 and a 200 day moving average of $24.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.56 and a beta of 1.08. Highwoods Properties, Inc. has a 12-month low of $20.45 and a 12-month high of $32.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $214.03 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.83 EPS. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.68 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 18th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 18th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.8%. Highwoods Properties's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 238.10%.

Highwoods Properties announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Wednesday, April 22nd that authorizes the company to buyback $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to buy up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Highwoods Properties 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.

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