Head-To-Head Comparison: Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) vs. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:PECO)

Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (NASDAQ:PECO) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Cousins Properties and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Cousins Properties	5.36%	1.00%	0.58%
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.	9.48%	2.40%	1.27%

Volatility & Risk

Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.29, suggesting that its share price is 29% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has a beta of 0.58, suggesting that its share price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.4%. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. pays an annual dividend of $1.23 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Cousins Properties pays out 426.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. pays out 246.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 80.7% of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.0% of Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Cousins Properties and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Cousins Properties	$856.76 million	5.73	$45.96 million	$0.30	97.66
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.	$661.39 million	6.92	$62.69 million	$0.50	73.08

Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Cousins Properties. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cousins Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Cousins Properties and Phillips Edison & Company, Inc., as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Cousins Properties	0	3	6	0	2.67
Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.	0	3	3	0	2.50

Cousins Properties presently has a consensus price target of $33.00, indicating a potential upside of 12.63%. Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. has a consensus price target of $39.00, indicating a potential upside of 6.73%. Given Cousins Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than Phillips Edison & Company, Inc..

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 Phillips Edison & Company, Inc.

Phillips Edison & Co., Inc. is a real estate investment trust, which engages in the ownership and operation of shopping centers. It also offers an investment management business providing property management and advisory services. Its portfolio consists of well-occupied, grocery-anchored neighborhood and community shopping centers having a mix of national, regional, and local retailers offering necessity-based goods and services. The company was founded by Jeffrey S. Edison and Michael C. Phillips in 1991 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.