Analyzing Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) and Empire State Realty OP (NYSE:ESBA)

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) and Empire State Realty OP (NYSE:ESBA) are both real estate companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, profitability, risk and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Cousins Properties and Empire State Realty OP’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cousins Properties	0.62%	0.14%	0.07%
Empire State Realty OP	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.8% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Cousins Properties and Empire State Realty OP, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cousins Properties	0	3	7	0	2.70
Empire State Realty OP	0	0	0	0	0.00

Cousins Properties presently has a consensus target price of $31.09, indicating a potential upside of 4.79%. Given Cousins Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than Empire State Realty OP.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Cousins Properties and Empire State Realty OP”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cousins Properties	$993.82 million	4.91	$40.50 million	$0.04	741.75
Empire State Realty OP	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Cousins Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Empire State Realty OP.

Dividends

Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Empire State Realty OP pays an annual dividend of $0.14 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Cousins Properties pays out 3,200.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Summary

Cousins Properties beats Empire State Realty OP on 10 of the 11 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 Empire State Realty OP

Empire State Realty OP, L.P. operates as a subsidiary of Empire State Realty Trust, Inc.