Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ – Get Free Report) and Alexander’s (NYSE:ALX – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends and valuation.
Dividends
Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. Alexander’s pays an annual dividend of $18.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.9%. Cousins Properties pays out -4,266.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Alexander’s pays out 450.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Alexander’s has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Alexander’s is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.
Profitability
This table compares Cousins Properties and Alexander’s’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Cousins Properties | -0.52% | -0.11% | -0.06% |
| Alexander’s | 9.72% | 17.38% | 1.71% |
Earnings and Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Cousins Properties | $993.82 million | 4.68 | $40.50 million | ($0.03) | -943.10 |
| Alexander’s | $213.18 million | 6.25 | $28.22 million | $4.00 | 65.14 |
Cousins Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Alexander’s. Cousins Properties is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Alexander’s, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk & Volatility
Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.21, indicating that its share price is 21% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Alexander’s has a beta of 0.78, indicating that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Cousins Properties and Alexander’s, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Cousins Properties | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2.56 |
| Alexander’s | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Cousins Properties presently has a consensus price target of $28.73, suggesting a potential upside of 1.53%. Given Cousins Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than Alexander’s.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.0% of Alexander’s shares are held by institutional investors. 1.8% of Cousins Properties shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 26.4% of Alexander’s shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
Alexander’s beats Cousins Properties on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
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.
About Alexander’s
Alexander’s, Inc. (NYSE: ALX) is a real estate investment trust (REIT), incorporated in Delaware, engaged in leasing, managing, developing and redeveloping its properties. All references to we, us, our, Company and Alexander’s refer to Alexander’s, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries. We are managed by, and our properties are leased and developed by, Vornado Realty Trust (Vornado) (NYSE: VNO). We have five properties in New York City.
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