Highwoods Properties Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Highwoods Properties Inc (HIW) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Highwoods Properties Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 836M vs 26,901M combined for its competitors (3.0% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.6% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+2.0%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Highwoods Properties Inc generated 7.9% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 5.5% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 44.7% net margin compares with 14.2% for the peer group.
- Scale: Highwoods Properties Inc ranks #69 of 187 companies by market capitalization in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry, holding 0.2% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Highwoods Properties Inc accounted for 3.1% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 3.0% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $2.65M compares with $3.07M for the peer group (0.9x).
- Structure: Highwoods Properties Inc operates in the following segments: Total Reportable, Raleigh, NC, Nashville, TN, Atlanta, GA, Charlotte, NC, Tampa, FL, Orlando, FL, Corporate Segment and Other Operating, Richmond, VA.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
HIW Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Highwoods Properties Inc reported revenue growth of 7.87 % year on year in Q2 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 5.53 %.
With a net margin of 44.72 %, Highwoods Properties Inc achieved higher profitability than its competitors (14.23 %).
Highwoods Properties Inc generated 3.06 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 2.99 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Highwoods Properties Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Highwoods Properties Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Highwoods Properties Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (5) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Highwoods Properties Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry grew revenue -1.0% year over year, combined, vs 7.9% for Highwoods Properties Inc. Highwoods Properties Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.27% to 0.29%, a gain of 0.02 percentage points.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (14) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (7 of 7) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 87.50 % (7 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
HIW Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
HIW Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
HIW Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City Office Reit Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Piedmont Realty Trust Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Cousins Properties Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Orion Properties Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Realty Income Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Highwoods Properties Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Highwoods Properties Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Highwoods Properties Inc |
3,534.11 | 835.54 |
 Prologis Inc |
121,612.95 | 9,189.77 |
 Realty Income Corporation |
55,858.63 | 6,205.96 |
 Bxp Inc |
10,377.48 | 3,525.68 |
 Rexford Industrial Realty Inc |
8,335.26 | 977.78 |
 Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc |
7,649.64 | 2,759.40 |
| SUBTOTAL | 229,060.97 | 29,707.84 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Highwoods Properties Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Highwoods Properties Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| City Office Reit Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Vornado Realty Trust | Company report | 85% |
| Orion Properties Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Franklin Street Properties Corp | Company report | 85% |
| Piedmont Realty Trust Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Cousins Properties Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Kilroy Realty Corporation | Company report | 85% |
| Bxp Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Sl green Realty corp | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Highwoods Properties Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | Total Reportable 93.94 % |
| Prologis Inc | Real Estate Operations Segment 93.21 % |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | Reportable Segment, Aggregation before Other Operating 93.26 % |
| Vornado Realty Trust | New York 82.22 % |
| Kilroy Realty Corporation | Office and Life Science Properties 100.00 % |
| Sl green Realty corp | Real Estate 83.75 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Highwoods Properties Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | 3,534 | 2,652,514 | 550,956 |
| Prologis Inc | 121,613 | 3,279,717 | 1,574,047 |
| Realty Income Corporation | 55,859 | 11,408,018 | 2,619,897 |
| Bxp Inc | 10,377 | 4,268,383 | 500,507 |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | 8,335 | 3,819,469 | -1,873,434 |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | 7,650 | 52,064,189 | -24,030,792 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 225,527 | 3,070,868 | 526,650 |
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Highwoods Properties Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 181 companies in Highwoods Properties Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Highwoods Properties Inc ranks #69 of 181 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.23 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 413, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welltower Inc | 180,807 | 12.02 % |
| 2 | Prologis Inc | 121,613 | 8.09 % |
| 3 | Equinix Inc | 100,396 | 6.67 % |
| 4 | American Tower Corporation | 88,026 | 5.85 % |
| 5 | Simon Property Group inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Digital Realty Trust Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Public Storage | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Realty Income Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Ventas inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Crown Castle Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 69 | Highwoods Properties Inc | 3,534 | 0.23 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Highwoods Properties Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | Kilroy Realty Corporation | 4,193 | -15.27 % |
| 65 | Copt Defense Properties | 3,777 | 12.50 % |
| 66 | Sl green Realty corp | 3,589 | -1.26 % |
| 67 | Lxp Industrial Trust | 3,554 | - |
| 68 | Independence Realty Trust Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 69 | Highwoods Properties Inc | 3,534 | 9.91 % |
| 70 | Broadstone Net Lease Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 71 | National Health Investors Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 72 | Diamondrock Hospitality Co | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 73 | Corecivic Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 74 | Pebblebrook Hotel Trust | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Highwoods Properties Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (283 companies). See the full Real Estate Investment Trusts industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 21.43 % | 42.02 % (avg) | -20.6 pp |
| Operating Margin | 42.80 % | industry median | +15.7 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 52.36 % | 38.49 % (avg) | +13.9 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 74.04 % | 28.31 % (avg) | +45.7 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry average (283 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Real Estate Investment Trusts industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 17.0x | 30.7x | -13.7x |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.6x | 17.6x | -3.0x |
| P/B | 1.2x | 1.9x | -0.7x |
| Return on Equity | 6.99 % | industry aggregate | 1.39 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3.91 % | 2.23 % (avg) | 1.68 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 2.46 % | 2.21 % | 0.13 % | 4.22 % | 14.76 % | 0.62 % | -0.99 % | -2.39 % |
| Operating Margin | 28.78 % | 24.87 % | 29.95 % | 30.18 % | 19.98 % | 36.73 % | 52.15 % | 53.56 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 2.59 % | 2.25 % | 2.69 % | 2.77 % | 2.08 % | 3.61 % | 5.13 % | 4.89 % |
| P/E | 26.1x | 37.5x | 11.5x | 15.3x | 30.1x | 14.3x | 34.6x | 19.3x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Strategic Group Map
Highwoods Properties Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Highwoods Properties Inc's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 3.1% and operating margin of 42.8% compares with an average of 3.6% growth and 42.9% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Highwoods Properties Inc sits below that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Highwoods Properties Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Highwoods Properties Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.02x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 2.4% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 413 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 74.04 % vs industry average 28.31 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Highwoods Properties Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Highwoods Properties Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Highwoods Properties Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 15.7 points above the industry median.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.6% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.02x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (17.0x vs 30.7x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | - | - | 1.43 |
| Prologis Inc | 0.62 | 0.62 | 0.61 |
| Realty Income Corporation | 0.22 | 0.96 | 0.08 |
| Bxp Inc | 0.75 | 0.89 | 1.45 |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | 1.39 | 2.63 | 0.38 |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | 0.20 | 0.39 | 0.64 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | Q2 2026 | +7.9 % | +403.4 % |
| Prologis Inc | Q2 2026 | +11.1 % | +70.7 % |
| Realty Income Corporation | Q3 2026 | +10.3 % | +36.0 % |
| Bxp Inc | Q2 2026 | +3.1 % | -14.0 % |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | Q3 2026 | -5.6 % | -81.3 % |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | Q3 2026 | -10.7 % | - |
| PEERS TOTAL | +5.2 % | -6.5 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Highwoods Properties Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | Q2 2026 | - | -50.6 % |
| Prologis Inc | Q2 2026 | +717.8 % | +88.4 % |
| Realty Income Corporation | Q3 2026 | +28.1 % | +129.0 % |
| Bxp Inc | Q2 2026 | +1.2 % | +13.1 % |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | Q3 2026 | -1.5 % | -37.2 % |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | Q3 2026 | -4.7 % | -17.2 % |
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Highwoods Properties Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | 2.72% | 2.60% | 6.99% |
| Prologis Inc | 4.45% | 3.12% | 7.64% |
| Realty Income Corporation | 1.89% | 1.89% | 3.44% |
| Bxp Inc | 1.61% | 1.44% | 5.40% |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | - | - | - |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | - | - | - |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Highwoods Properties Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Highwoods Properties Inc | 20.70 | 4.23 |
| Prologis Inc | 28.47 | 13.23 |
| Realty Income Corporation | 40.44 | 9.00 |
| Bxp Inc | 34.95 | 2.94 |
| Rexford Industrial Realty Inc | - | 8.52 |
| Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc | - | 2.77 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 44.69 | 7.71 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.