The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys Shares of 54,662 Highwoods Properties, Inc. $HIW

Key Points

• The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased 54,662 Highwoods Properties shares worth approximately $1.65 million during the second quarter. Institutional investors now own 96.31% of the REIT.
• Highwoods reported quarterly revenue of $216.38 million, up 7.9% year over year and above analyst expectations, while EPS of $0.85 narrowly missed the $0.86 consensus estimate.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.50 per share, representing a 6.4% annualized yield, though its 131.58% payout ratio exceeds reported earnings. Analysts remain broadly neutral, with a consensus “Hold” rating and a $32.33 price target.

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 54,662 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock, valued at approximately $1,649,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Highwoods Properties during the second quarter valued at approximately $633,717,000. CORDA Investment Management LLC. purchased a new stake in Highwoods Properties in the second quarter worth approximately $38,747,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Highwoods Properties in the second quarter worth approximately $38,595,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its position in Highwoods Properties by 133.8% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,808,104 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock worth $38,712,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,694 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in Highwoods Properties in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,251,000. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Highwoods Properties Stock Up 0.8%

Shares of HIW stock opened at $31.10 on Friday. Highwoods Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $20.45 and a 12 month high of $35.44. The stock has a market cap of $3.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.46 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $27.07.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.85 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.86 by ($0.01). Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 7.06% and a net margin of 20.74%.The business had revenue of $216.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $212.15 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. The company's revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.460-3.700 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 9th. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.4%. Highwoods Properties's payout ratio is 131.58%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on HIW shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut Highwoods Properties from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $33.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $26.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Truist Financial upped their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Weiss Ratings raised Highwoods Properties from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Mizuho raised their target price on Highwoods Properties from $25.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $32.33.

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.

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