ARE vs ESRT vs HIW Stock Comparison

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Empire State Realty Trust and Highwoods Properties Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

Highwoods Properties leads on 8 of the 12 questions below (Highwoods Properties 8, Alexandria Real Estate Equities 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionAREESRTHIWLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $6.58B $845.36M $3.24B ARE
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only -4.6x 275.1x 17.5x HIW
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 26.2x — 26.2x HIW
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months -9.9% +2.0% +5.4% HIW
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months -52.0% 0.4% 21.7% HIW
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — -1.1% — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 5.0x — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.09% 0.03% 0.07% ARE
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months -47.5% -36.8% +0.9% HIW
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -27.6%/yr -12.8%/yr -8.1%/yr HIW
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 50.3% 36.6% 29.3% HIW
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 39/100 35/100 49/100 HIW

Percentile Scorecard

AREESRTHIW

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisAREESRTHIW
Valuation 74 #38 of 145 78 #33 of 145 55 #66 of 145
Growth 7 #131 of 141 1 #139 of 141 36 #90 of 141
Profitability 14 #115 of 134 26 #99 of 134 63 #50 of 134
Financial Health 72 #39 of 138 57 #60 of 138 31 #96 of 138
Shareholder Returns 29 #94 of 131 13 #114 of 131 58 #56 of 131
Overall 39 35 49
  • ARE ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ESRT ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • HIW ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodAREESRTHIWSPY
1 month -18.1%+22.4%-0.9% -0.2%
3 months -24.3%-11.1%-11.3% +3.9%
6 months +1.1%-12.2%+19.7% +8.2%
Year to date -16.5%-22.9%+15.5% +12.9%
1 year -47.5%-36.8%+0.9% +12.3%
3 years -55.4%-37.3%+67.6% +87.4%
3 years, per year -23.6%-14.4%+18.8% +23.3%
5 years -80.2%-49.6%-34.3% +67.9%
5 years, per year -27.6%-12.8%-8.1% +10.9%
10 years -61.1%-74.0%-39.0% +261.1%
10 years, per year -9.0%-12.6%-4.8% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureAREESRTHIWSPY
Volatility, 1Y 50.3%36.6%29.3% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 56.8%41.8%32.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.730.320.55 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y -0.95-1.010.03 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -81.9%-65.6%-62.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -47.5%-36.8%-13.3% -1.2%
52-week high $77.87$7.96$34.39 $779.14
52-week low $40.41$3.93$20.58 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleAREESRTHIW
P/E now vs peer median -4.9xmedian 26.3x 280.0xmedian 26.3x 17.8xmedian 26.3x
P/S now vs peer median 2.6xmedian 4.0x 1.1xmedian 4.0x 3.9xmedian 4.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median —median 14.4x 10.0xmedian 14.4x —median 14.4x
P/FCF now vs peer median -15.0xmedian 23.3x -2.0xmedian 23.3x -9.0xmedian 23.3x
P/B now vs peer median 0.4xmedian 1.3x 0.5xmedian 1.3x 1.3xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median 0.05median 1.91 -4.68median 1.91 1.89median 1.91

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsAREESRTHIW
Revenue $2.76B $784.18M $851.95M
Operating income – -$34.52M –
Net income -$1.39B $9.26M $193.92M
Free cash flow -$473.23M -$437.31M -$366.24M
EPS (diluted) $-8.40 $0.01 $1.65
Cash & equivalents $508.86M $85.61M $279.21M
Total debt $12.90B $4.54B $3.51B
Shares (diluted) 170.75M 268.95M 112.32M
Enterprise value -$1.01B $404.17M $2.75B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricAREESRTHIW
P/E -4.9x 280.0x 17.8x
P/FCF -15.0x -2.0x -9.0x
P/Operating cash flow 6.0x 3.8x 8.7x
P/S 2.6x 1.1x 3.9x
P/B 0.4x 0.5x 1.3x
P/Tangible book 0.4x 0.5x 1.4x
EV/EBITDA – 10.0x –
EV/EBIT – -50.2x –
EV/Revenue 6.5x 2.2x 7.7x
EV/FCF -37.8x -4.0x -17.8x
EV/Operating cash flow 15.0x 7.6x 17.2x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.05 -4.68 1.89

Growth

14 metrics
MetricAREESRTHIW
Revenue growth (1Y) -9.9% 2.0% 5.4%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -0.5% 2.9% 0.5%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – -123.1% –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – -31.0% –
Net income growth (1Y) -339.2% -86.5% 49.5%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -74.6% -51.3% 11.2%
EPS growth (1Y) -239.7% -92.4% 46.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -100.7% -59.8% 9.4%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) -13.7% -13.3% 4.5%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -9.5% -0.8% -0.6%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 33.5% -169.4% -176.2%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 43.5% -149.9% -66.8%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricAREESRTHIW
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin – 22.1% –
Operating margin – -4.4% –
Pretax margin – 1.3% –
Net margin -52.0% 0.4% 21.7%
FCF margin -17.1% -55.8% -43.0%
Operating cash flow margin 43.0% 29.0% 44.5%
Return on equity -6.6% 0.5% 7.5%
Return on assets -3.6% 0.2% 3.0%
Return on invested capital – -1.1% –
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.2x 0.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) -0.9x 24.6x 2.0x
Stock comp / revenue 1.5% 3.9% 1.1%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricAREESRTHIW
Debt / assets 37.9% 22.4% 54.5%
Debt / equity 0.7x 0.5x 1.4x
Net debt / EBITDA – 5.0x –
Debt / FCF -27.3x -2.2x -9.6x
Liabilities / assets 45.9% 58.1% 60.2%
Equity / assets 54.1% 41.9% 39.8%
Interest coverage – -0.3x –
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricAREESRTHIW
Dividend yield 7.0% 3.1% 6.7%
Net buyback yield – – -0.4%
Shareholder yield 7.0% 3.1% 6.3%
Payout ratio (earnings) -43.0% 259.1% 113.6%
Payout ratio (FCF) -126.5% -5.5% -60.1%
Dividend growth (1Y) -34.4% 2.2% 2.3%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) -10.2% 1.9% 1.5%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusAREESRTHIW
Forward P/E 26.2xFY2026 – 26.2xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.56FY2026 $-0.35FY2027 $1.14FY2026
EPS growth, next FY – -240.0%FY2027 -21.4%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -150.6% – -36.0%
Revenue, next fiscal year $2.71BFY2026 $758.24MFY2026 $908.60MFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -8.2%FY2026 -1.3%FY2026 +12.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -13.7% +4.5% -8.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersAREESRTHIW
Held by institutions 97.2% 83.6% 100.0%
Institutions holding 595 228 371
Change in shares held, QoQ +14.1% +0.4% +10.9%
Institutions buying 336 141 214
Institutions selling 191 51 102
Buyers to sellers 1.76 2.76 2.10

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

AREESRTHIW
ARE 1.00 0.34 0.46
ESRT 0.34 1.00 0.48
HIW 0.46 0.48 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, ARE, ESRT and HIW?

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) is the largest by market capitalisation: Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) $6.58B, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) $845.36M, Highwoods Properties (HIW) $3.24B.

Which stock is cheaper, ARE, ESRT and HIW?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) -4.6x, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 275.1x, Highwoods Properties (HIW) 17.5x). On next year's consensus earnings, Highwoods Properties (HIW) is cheapest (Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) 26.2x, Highwoods Properties (HIW) 26.2x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) -9.9%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) +2.0%, Highwoods Properties (HIW) +5.4%.

Which company is more profitable?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) has the highest net margin (Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) -52.0%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 0.4%, Highwoods Properties (HIW) 21.7%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Highwoods Properties (HIW) returned the most: Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) -47.5%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) -36.8%, Highwoods Properties (HIW) +0.9%. Over five years, Highwoods Properties (HIW) compounded fastest (Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) -27.6%/yr, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) -12.8%/yr, Highwoods Properties (HIW) -8.1%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) has the highest dividend yield: Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) 0.09%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 0.03%, Highwoods Properties (HIW) 0.07%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Highwoods Properties (HIW) has been the steadiest (Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) 50.3%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 36.6%, Highwoods Properties (HIW) 29.3%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, ARE, ESRT and HIW?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Highwoods Properties (HIW) leads on 8. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.