Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ – Get Free Report) is one of 59 public companies in the “Office REITs” industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Cousins Properties to similar businesses based on the strength of its risk, profitability, earnings, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.
Dividends
Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Cousins Properties pays out 1,422.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, “Office REITs” companies pay a dividend yield of 4.9% and pay out -502.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Cousins Properties lags its peers as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.3% of shares of all “Office REITs” companies are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of Cousins Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.9% of shares of all “Office REITs” companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Cousins Properties and its peers’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Cousins Properties | 1.42% | 0.33% | 0.17% |
| Cousins Properties Competitors | -17.75% | -7.48% | -0.23% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Cousins Properties and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Cousins Properties | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2.78 |
| Cousins Properties Competitors | 944 | 2830 | 2689 | 25 | 2.28 |
Cousins Properties presently has a consensus target price of $31.50, suggesting a potential upside of 5.42%. As a group, “Office REITs” companies have a potential upside of 3.52%. Given Cousins Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than its peers.
Risk & Volatility
Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.17, suggesting that its share price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cousins Properties’ peers have a beta of 1.02, suggesting that their average share price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Cousins Properties and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Net Income | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Cousins Properties | $993.82 million | $40.50 million | 332.00 |
| Cousins Properties Competitors | $530.03 million | -$49.56 million | 14.10 |
Cousins Properties has higher revenue and earnings than its peers. Cousins Properties is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.
Summary
Cousins Properties beats its peers on 11 of the 15 factors compared.
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.
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