# Cousins Properties Incorporated (CUZ) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Real Estate / Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Price $29.11, market value $4.8 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 727.8×** (5-yr avg 54.5×, 3-yr avg 78.8×). Cousins Properties Incorporated trades at 727.8× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 54.5×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Real Estate median in the September 2026 study was 25.2×. Forward P/E is 72.8×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 4.6×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 4.6×.
- **Price / book: 1.1×**. The shares trade at 1.1× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 7.2×**. Enterprise value is 7.2× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Earnings yield: 0.1%**. The inverse of the P/E: 0.1% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 68.0%**. 68.0% of revenue is left after running the business, an exceptional level.
- **Net margin: 4.1%**. 4.1% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 0.9%**. 0.9% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 6.9%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 6.9%.
- **Return on assets: 0.1%**. Each dollar of assets produces 0.1% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 16.0%** (3-yr 9.2%/yr, 5-yr 6.1%/yr). Revenue grew 16.0% over the last year, against 6.1% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -20.0%** (3-yr -40.0%/yr, 5-yr -31.6%/yr). Earnings per share fell 20.0%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 80.6%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 80.6% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.71**. Debt is 0.71 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 3.0×**. It would take 3.0 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 1.79**. A Z-score of 1.79 is in the distress zone, a signal to examine the balance sheet closely.
- **Piotroski F-score: 4/9**. 4 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 4.40%** ($1.28 per share, trailing). Cousins Properties Incorporated yields 4.40%, an income-level yield.
- **Payout ratio: 533%**. The dividend exceeds earnings (533% payout), which is rarely sustainable outside REITs and one-off years.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 4**. 4 straight years of increases.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): -3.0%/yr** (1-yr 0.0%). The dividend has not grown over five years.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (11 analysts). 11 analysts cover Cousins Properties Incorporated; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $33.64 (+16% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 4.6%** (YTD 17.2%, 3-mo 6.2%). The shares are up 4.6% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -11.7%** (38.4% above the low). Trading 12% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 43**. An RSI of 43 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.61** (volatility 26%). Beta of 0.61 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CUZ · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/cuz

Not investment advice.