On Wednesday, Truist Securities maintained a Buy rating on shares of Highwoods Properties Inc. (NYSE:HIW), with a continued price target of $33.00. The firm's analyst projects a 12.3% total return for the stock, despite anticipating near-term earnings growth to be tempered by lease expirations and challenging comparable results from previous years.
According to InvestingPro data, the stock has shown remarkable strength with a 45.87% year-to-date return and currently trades at $31.17.
Highwoods Properties, a real estate investment trust (REIT), is expected to face some headwinds due to the upcoming lease expirations of EQT (ST:EQTAB) and Bass, Berry & Sims. These expirations, along with relatively tough comparisons following a period where Highwoods and COPT Defense Properties were the only office REITs in Truist's coverage to report growth in net funds from operations (NFFO) over the past five years, may limit near-term earnings growth.
The analyst from Truist Securities has slightly raised the FFO (funds from operations) estimates for Highwoods Properties, while reiterating the $33 price target. This valuation reflects the firm's confidence in the stock’s potential, citing an attractive valuation at just 8.8 times the estimated 2025 FFO and 13 times EV/EBITDA. Additionally, the stock presents a 9.2% implied capitalization rate and a 6.4% dividend yield, which may appeal to investors.
Despite the short-term challenges, there is an expectation for occupancy and earnings to begin recovering in the second half of 2025. The analyst's outlook suggests that the current market valuation of Highwoods Properties does not fully reflect its growth prospects, considering the stock’s attractive multiples and high dividend yield.
In summary, Truist Securities sees Highwoods Properties as a worthwhile investment, with a valuation that remains compelling. The firm anticipates a rebound in the company's financial performance in the latter half of 2025, which is factored into the maintained Buy rating and $33 price target.
In other recent news, National Health Investors, Inc. (NYSE:NHI) announced the appointment of Candice Todd, a former executive at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), to its Board of Directors. This development comes alongside robust earnings results from Highwoods Properties, Inc. (HIW), which reported a net income of $14.6 million and funds from operations (FFO) of $97.1 million in the third quarter of 2024. HIW also revised its full-year FFO outlook upward, now expecting it between $3.59 to $3.63 per share.
In the wake of these earnings, HIW has seen its highest leasing performance in over a decade, signing 906,000 square feet. It anticipates ending the year with an occupancy rate between 86.5% and 87%. Despite an expected dip in occupancy rates in early 2025, HIW remains optimistic about market dynamics and is capitalizing on the strong demand for quality office spaces in the Sunbelt region.
These are the recent developments for both NHI and HIW, which investors might find appealing. NHI's appointment of Todd, with her extensive experience in real estate investment, is expected to create long-term value for shareholders. Meanwhile, HIW's strong financial performance and strategic asset repositioning signal potential for future growth.
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