OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) vs. Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) Critical Comparison

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) and OUTFRONT Media (NYSE:OUT) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Cousins Properties and OUTFRONT Media’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cousins Properties	6.51%	1.27%	0.70%
OUTFRONT Media	6.86%	21.56%	2.40%

Volatility & Risk

Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.36, indicating that its share price is 36% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, OUTFRONT Media has a beta of 1.82, indicating that its share price is 82% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of Cousins Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of OUTFRONT Media shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Cousins Properties and OUTFRONT Media”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cousins Properties	$964.11 million	4.49	$45.96 million	$0.35	73.68
OUTFRONT Media	$1.83 billion	2.15	$258.20 million	$0.68	34.60

OUTFRONT Media has higher revenue and earnings than Cousins Properties. OUTFRONT Media is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cousins Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Cousins Properties and OUTFRONT Media, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cousins Properties	0	6	6	0	2.50
OUTFRONT Media	0	1	6	0	2.86

Cousins Properties currently has a consensus target price of $31.64, suggesting a potential upside of 22.67%. OUTFRONT Media has a consensus target price of $22.00, suggesting a potential downside of 6.50%. Given Cousins Properties’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than OUTFRONT Media.

Dividends

Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.0%. OUTFRONT Media pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.1%. Cousins Properties pays out 365.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. OUTFRONT Media pays out 176.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. OUTFRONT Media is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

OUTFRONT Media beats Cousins Properties on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated ("Cousins") is a fully integrated, self-administered, and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company, based in Atlanta and acting through its operating partnership, Cousins Properties LP, primarily invests in Class A office buildings located in high-growth Sun Belt markets. Founded in 1958, Cousins creates shareholder value through its extensive expertise in the development, acquisition, leasing, and management of high-quality real estate assets. The Company has a comprehensive strategy in place based on a simple platform, trophy assets, and opportunistic investments.

About OUTFRONT Media

OUTFRONT Media, Inc. leases advertising space on out-of-home advertising structures and sites. Its inventory consists of billboard displays, which are primarily located on the most heavily traveled highways & roadways, and transit advertising displays operated under exclusive multi-year contracts with municipalities in large cities across the U.S. and Canada. It operates through the U.S. Media and other segments. The U.S. Media segment includes U.S. Billboard and Transit. The company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in New York, NY.