Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Stock Breaks Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Highwoods Properties shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $29.57 before closing at $28.6170, although the stock was trading below its 50-day average of $31.40.
• Analysts remain cautious, with one Buy rating and seven Holds; the consensus rating is Hold and the average price target is $32.56.
• The REIT reported quarterly revenue of $216.38 million, up 7.9% year over year, but narrowly missed earnings expectations. It also paid a $0.50 quarterly dividend, representing a 7.0% annualized yield, though its payout ratio is elevated at 131.58%.

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $28.03 and traded as high as $29.57. Highwoods Properties shares last traded at $28.6170, with a volume of 1,684,185 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HIW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Highwoods Properties from $24.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded shares of Highwoods Properties from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $33.00 price target for the company. in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Mizuho set a $32.00 price target on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Highwoods Properties from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $32.56.

Highwoods Properties Trading Down 2.7%

The stock has a market cap of $3.16 billion, a PE ratio of 18.83 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 firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $31.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $28.03.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.86 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $216.38 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $212.15 million. Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 7.06% and a net margin of 20.74%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.460-3.700 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 9th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 17th were paid a $0.50 dividend. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 17th. Highwoods Properties's payout ratio is currently 131.58%.

Institutional Trading of Highwoods Properties

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Highwoods Properties in the second quarter worth $633,717,000. CORDA Investment Management LLC. increased its stake in Highwoods Properties by 0.3% in the second quarter. CORDA Investment Management LLC. now owns 1,284,718 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $38,747,000 after acquiring an additional 3,370 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its position in Highwoods Properties by 133.8% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 1,808,104 shares of the real estate investment trust's stock valued at $38,712,000 after purchasing an additional 1,034,694 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Highwoods Properties during the second quarter valued at about $38,595,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in Highwoods Properties during the second quarter valued at about $36,285,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.31% of the company's stock.

Highwoods Properties Company Profile

Highwoods Properties, Inc NYSE: HIW is a real estate investment trust that owns, develops, leases and manages primarily office properties. The company focuses on high-quality buildings in central business districts and other prominent business locations, serving corporate, professional services, healthcare and government tenants.

Highwoods' portfolio is concentrated in selected Sun Belt markets, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Richmond, Orlando and Tampa. In addition to traditional office buildings, the company has developed and owns mixed-use properties that may include retail, residential, hospitality and entertainment components.

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