Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Price Target Raised to $16.00

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) had its price objective lifted by Truist Financial from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the real estate investment trust’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on WSR. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Whitestone REIT in a report on Tuesday, January 13th. They set a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price objective on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Whitestone REIT currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $16.33.

Whitestone REIT Stock Down 0.4%

Whitestone REIT stock opened at $14.20 on Tuesday. Whitestone REIT has a 1-year low of $11.43 and a 1-year high of $14.77. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $13.62 and a 200-day moving average price of $12.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $724.38 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.70 and a beta of 0.81.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, October 29th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.26. The company had revenue of $41.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.21 million. Whitestone REIT had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 28.16%.Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2025 guidance at 1.030-1.070 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 30th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 16th will be given a dividend of $0.1425 per share. This represents a $0.57 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 16th. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 63.53%.

Whitestone REIT announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Friday, December 19th that authorizes the company to buyback $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to purchase up to 7.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

About Whitestone REIT

Whitestone REIT is a real estate investment trust headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in the acquisition, development and management of retail and mixed-use properties. The company’s portfolio is concentrated in high-growth Texas markets, including the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, where it primarily owns open-air neighborhood and community shopping centers. Whitestone REIT focuses on convenience- and necessity-based retail, partnering with grocers, fitness operators, service providers and other essential tenants to drive consistent foot traffic and stable occupancy.

In addition to property ownership, Whitestone REIT provides asset and property management services, leasing expertise and development capabilities.