Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) Lowered to Hold Rating by B. Riley Financial

B. Riley Financial downgraded shares of Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday morning,Zacks.com reports.

WSR has been the subject of several other research reports. Citizens Jmp downgraded Whitestone REIT from a “market outperform” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Alliance Global Partners downgraded Whitestone REIT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Citigroup cut Whitestone REIT from a “market outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Cantor Fitzgerald upgraded Whitestone REIT to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH cut Whitestone REIT from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $17.50.

Whitestone REIT Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE:WSR opened at $18.91 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $962.47 million, a PE ratio of 19.90 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Whitestone REIT has a 52-week low of $11.43 and a 52-week high of $18.95. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.14.

Whitestone REIT (NYSE:WSR) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $43.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $41.27 million. Whitestone REIT had a return on equity of 11.23% and a net margin of 31.04%.Whitestone REIT has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.100-1.140 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Whitestone REIT will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Whitestone REIT Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, June 17th will be issued a $0.1425 dividend. This represents a $0.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 17th. Whitestone REIT’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.00%.

Whitestone REIT declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback plan on Friday, December 19th that authorizes the company to repurchase $50.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the real estate investment trust to buy up to 7.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Whitestone REIT Company Profile

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.