Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) Stock Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average – Here’s Why

Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $25.08 and traded as high as $26.02. Highwoods Properties shares last traded at $25.4770, with a volume of 1,677,562 shares changing hands.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HIW has been the topic of several research reports. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Highwoods Properties from $29.00 to $23.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 17th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties from $30.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Robert W. Baird set a $29.00 price objective on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. 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. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and set a $28.00 target price on shares of Highwoods Properties in a research report on Thursday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $27.78.

Highwoods Properties Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $2.81 billion, a PE ratio of 30.33 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.50 and a quick ratio of 1.50. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $22.90 and its 200-day moving average is $25.08.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.16 by $0.13. Highwoods Properties had a net margin of 11.64% and a return on equity of 3.97%. The company had revenue of $214.03 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $209.06 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.83 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Highwoods Properties has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.400-3.68 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 9th. Shareholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.9%. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio is currently 238.10%.

Highwoods Properties declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, April 22nd that allows the company to buyback $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the real estate investment trust to reacquire up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of Highwoods Properties

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HIW. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Highwoods Properties by 88.6% during 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 buying an additional 372 shares during the period. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC grew its stake in Highwoods Properties by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Samalin Investment Counsel LLC now owns 9,075 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $289,000 after acquiring an additional 435 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System increased its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 443 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank raised its position in Highwoods Properties by 1.4% during the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 32,927 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $1,048,000 after acquiring an additional 467 shares during the period. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Highwoods Properties by 0.5% during the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 98,051 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $3,048,000 after acquiring an additional 489 shares during the period. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.