Commerce Bank Makes New Investment in Highwoods Properties, Inc. $HIW

Commerce Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 35,381 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock, valued at approximately $1,067,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in HIW. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 88.6% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 792 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 372 shares in the last quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Highwoods Properties by 752.0% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,065 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 940 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new stake in Highwoods Properties during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in Highwoods Properties by 292.5% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 1,680 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 1,252 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in Highwoods Properties by 285.8% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,983 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 1,469 shares during the period. 96.31% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Highwoods Properties Stock Down 1.1%

Highwoods Properties stock opened at $31.55 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $3.48 billion, a PE ratio of 20.76 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.37, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a current ratio of 1.68. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $31.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $26.79. Highwoods Properties, Inc. has a twelve month low of $20.45 and a twelve month high of $35.44.

Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.86 by ($0.01). Highwoods Properties had a return on equity of 7.06% and a net margin of 20.74%.The company had revenue of $216.38 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $212.15 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. The firm’s quarterly 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 predict that Highwoods Properties, Inc. will post 3.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Highwoods Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 9th. Investors of record on Monday, August 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 17th. Highwoods Properties’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 131.58%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HIW has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup raised their target price on Highwoods Properties from $24.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Highwoods Properties from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 1st. Weiss Ratings raised Highwoods Properties from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Highwoods Properties from $23.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $31.67.

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.