Cousins Properties (CUZ)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $25.59 | Market Cap: $4.3 BilSector: Real Estate | Industry: Office REITs
Cousins Properties (CUZ)
Market Price (12/4/2025): $25.59Market Cap: $4.3 BilSector: Real EstateIndustry: Office REITs
Investment Highlights
Why It Matters
Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?
1. Generates cash flow
The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.
2. Riding a trend
Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow
| Attractive yieldTotal YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.5%, Dividend Yield is 4.3% | Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -13%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -55% | Debt is significantNet D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 69% |
| Strong revenue growthRev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 16% | Expensive valuation multiplesP/EPrice/Earnings or Price/(Net Income) is 84x | |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 43% | Not cash flow generativeFCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is -8.3% | |
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 25% | ||
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Smart Buildings & Proptech, and Sustainable & Green Buildings. Themes include IoT for Buildings, ESG REITs, Show more. |
| Attractive yieldTotal YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 5.5%, Dividend Yield is 4.3% |
| Strong revenue growthRev Chg LTMRevenue Change % Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 16% |
| Attractive cash flow generationCFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 43% |
| Low stock price volatilityVol 12M is 25% |
| Megatrend and thematic driversMegatrends include Smart Buildings & Proptech, and Sustainable & Green Buildings. Themes include IoT for Buildings, ESG REITs, Show more. |
| Weak multi-year price returns2Y Excs Rtn is -13%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -55% |
| Debt is significantNet D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 69% |
| Expensive valuation multiplesP/EPrice/Earnings or Price/(Net Income) is 84x |
| Not cash flow generativeFCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is -8.3% |
Valuation, Metrics & Events
CUZ Stock
Why The Stock Moved
Qualitative Assessment
AI Generated Analysis | Feedback
Here are the key points explaining the approximate -12.3% movement in Cousins Properties (CUZ) stock from August 31, 2025, to December 4, 2025:
**1. Cousins Properties reported a decrease in net income for the third quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in the prior year.**
The company's net income available to common stockholders for Q3 2025 was $8.6 million, or $0.05 per share, a decline from $11.2 million, or $0.07 per share, in Q3 2024.
**2. Increased interest expenses and a decrease in weighted average occupancy impacted growth in both the second and third quarters of 2025.**
Despite healthy leasing activity, these factors "marred the growth tempo" according to reports on the Q3 2025 results. Similarly, in Q2 2025, increased interest expenses and decreased weighted average occupancy were noted as hindering the growth rate.
**3. Multiple analyst downgrades and reductions in price targets occurred during the period.**
Wells Fargo & Company cut its price target from $32.00 to $30.00 on November 11, 2025. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its price target from $37.00 to $33.00 on November 25, 2025. Truist Financial dropped its target from $30.00 to $28.00 in early December 2025, and Jefferies Financial Group lowered its rating from "buy" to "hold" with a price target reduction from $34.00 to $27.00 in October 2025. Additionally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares from "hold" to "sell" in early November 2025.
**4. The company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio was notably high compared to industry averages, suggesting potential overvaluation.**
As of November 26, 2025, Cousins Properties' P/E ratio stood at 74.5x, significantly exceeding the US Office REITs industry average of 22.4x and its peers' average of 17.9x. This elevated ratio could imply that investors were paying a premium for future expectations, making the stock susceptible to downward adjustments if growth prospects faced challenges.
**5. Cousins Properties exhibited an overall negative trend in its longer-term share price performance leading into and within the specified period.**
As of November 26, 2025, while shares had seen some minor gains over the preceding four weeks, the year-to-date share price return remained negative, and the 1-year total shareholder return was -15.96%. This indicated a broader context of underperformance that could have contributed to investor caution and the stock's continued decline during the requested timeframe.
Stock Movement Drivers
Return vs. Risk
Price Returns Compared
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||
| CUZ Return | -15% | 23% | -35% | 2% | 33% | -13% | -19% |
| Peers Return | -11% | 37% | -22% | 10% | 14% | 2% | 22% |
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 16% | 112% |
Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||
| CUZ Win Rate | 50% | 58% | 42% | 50% | 67% | 40% | |
| Peers Win Rate | 43% | 69% | 43% | 52% | 57% | 40% | |
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | |
Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||
| CUZ Max Drawdown | -45% | -6% | -43% | -26% | -9% | -16% | |
| Peers Max Drawdown | -46% | -4% | -31% | -19% | -13% | -13% | |
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: EPRT, PECO, IRT, BXMT, BXP.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/3/2025 (YTD)
How Low Can It Go
| Event | CUZ | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Inflation Shock | ||
| % Loss | -58.2% | -25.4% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 139.4% | 34.1% |
| Time to Breakeven | Not Fully Recovered days | 464 days |
| 2020 Covid Pandemic | ||
| % Loss | -46.9% | -33.9% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 88.4% | 51.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | Not Fully Recovered days | 148 days |
| 2018 Correction | ||
| % Loss | -23.1% | -19.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 30.0% | 24.7% |
| Time to Breakeven | 79 days | 120 days |
| 2008 Global Financial Crisis | ||
| % Loss | -85.3% | -56.8% |
| % Gain to Breakeven | 579.2% | 131.3% |
| Time to Breakeven | Not Fully Recovered days | 1480 days |
Compare to EPRT, PECO, IRT, BXMT, BXP
In The Past
Cousins Properties's stock fell -58.2% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 1/7/2022. A -58.2% loss requires a 139.4% gain to breakeven.
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Latest Trefis Analyses
| Title | |
|---|---|
| ARTICLES |
Trade Ideas
Select past ideas related to CUZ. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10312025 | MPW | Medical Properties Trust | Special | Short Squeeze PotentialShort Squeeze PotentialHas potential for a short squeeze. High short interest, rising short interest and high debt. | 8.5% | 8.5% | -5.8% |
| 09302023 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 21.5% | 52.2% | -12.1% |
| 06302022 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | -10.7% | -17.8% | -34.3% |
| 10312020 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 46.5% | 60.8% | 0.0% |
| Date | Ticker | Company | Category | Trade Strategy | 6M Fwd Rtn | 12M Fwd Rtn | 12M Max DD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10312025 | MPW | Medical Properties Trust | Special | Short Squeeze PotentialShort Squeeze PotentialHas potential for a short squeeze. High short interest, rising short interest and high debt. | 8.5% | 8.5% | -5.8% |
| 09302023 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 21.5% | 52.2% | -12.1% |
| 06302022 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | -10.7% | -17.8% | -34.3% |
| 10312020 | CUZ | Cousins Properties | Dip Buy | DB | FCFY OPMDip Buy with High FCF Yield and High MarginBuying dips for companies with high FCF yield and meaningfully high operating margin | 46.5% | 60.8% | 0.0% |
Research & Analysis
Invest in Strategies
Wealth Management
Peer Comparisons for Cousins Properties
| Peers to compare with: |
Financials
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Price | 28.46 |
| Mkt Cap | 4.3 |
| Rev LTM | 682 |
| Op Inc LTM | 219 |
| FCF LTM | 213 |
| FCF 3Y Avg | 253 |
| CFO LTM | 350 |
| CFO 3Y Avg | 339 |
Growth & Margins
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Rev Chg LTM | 6.6% |
| Rev Chg 3Y Avg | 7.3% |
| Rev Chg Q | 14.5% |
| QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM | 3.3% |
| Op Mgn LTM | 26.8% |
| Op Mgn 3Y Avg | 25.6% |
| QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM | 0.0% |
| CFO/Rev LTM | 44.0% |
| CFO/Rev 3Y Avg | 46.2% |
| FCF/Rev LTM | 31.7% |
| FCF/Rev 3Y Avg | 34.6% |
Valuation
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Mkt Cap | 4.3 |
| P/S | 6.0 |
| P/EBIT | 23.0 |
| P/E | 41.1 |
| P/CFO | 13.1 |
| Total Yield | 5.5% |
| Dividend Yield | 3.9% |
| FCF Yield 3Y Avg | 5.4% |
| D/E | 0.6 |
| Net D/E | 0.6 |
Returns
| Median | |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| 1M Rtn | 3.7% |
| 3M Rtn | -0.9% |
| 6M Rtn | -0.5% |
| 12M Rtn | -7.1% |
| 3Y Rtn | 17.0% |
| 1M Excs Rtn | 3.7% |
| 3M Excs Rtn | -7.5% |
| 6M Excs Rtn | -15.2% |
| 12M Excs Rtn | -22.1% |
| 3Y Excs Rtn | -52.9% |
Returns Analyses
SEC Filings
Expand for More| Report Date | Filing Date | Filing |
|---|---|---|
| 9302025 | 10302025 | 10-Q 9/30/2025 |
| 6302025 | 7312025 | 10-Q 6/30/2025 |
| 3312025 | 5012025 | 10-Q 3/31/2025 |
| 12312024 | 2062025 | 10-K 12/31/2024 |
| 9302024 | 10242024 | 10-Q 9/30/2024 |
| 6302024 | 7252024 | 10-Q 6/30/2024 |
| 3312024 | 4252024 | 10-Q 3/31/2024 |
| 12312023 | 2072024 | 10-K 12/31/2023 |
| 9302023 | 10262023 | 10-Q 9/30/2023 |
| 6302023 | 7272023 | 10-Q 6/30/2023 |
| 3312023 | 4272023 | 10-Q 3/31/2023 |
| 12312022 | 2092023 | 10-K 12/31/2022 |
| 9302022 | 10272022 | 10-Q 9/30/2022 |
| 6302022 | 7282022 | 10-Q 6/30/2022 |
| 3312022 | 4282022 | 10-Q 3/31/2022 |
| 12312021 | 2032022 | 10-K 12/31/2021 |
External Quote Links
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