HIW vs ESRT vs KRC Stock Comparison

Highwoods Properties, Empire State Realty Trust and Kilroy Realty Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
KRC Kilroy Realty Corp
$35.98 +5.2% 1M -12.8% 1Y
Market cap
$4.18B
P/E
146.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.09B
Div. yield
6.00%
Office REITs Real Estate
2 wins

Head to Head

10 decided of 12

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

QuestionHIWESRTKRCLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $3.29B $864.10M $4.18B KRC
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 17.8x 280.0x 146.4x HIW
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 26.2x — 156.4x HIW
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +5.4% +2.0% -3.6% HIW
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 21.7% 0.4% 2.6% HIW
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital — -1.1% — –
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA — 5.0x — –
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 6.70% 3.08% 6.00% HIW
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +0.9% -36.8% -12.8% HIW
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -8.1%/yr -12.8%/yr -12.0%/yr HIW
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 29.3% 36.6% 29.2% KRC
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 49/100 35/100 44/100 HIW

Percentile Scorecard

HIWESRTKRC

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

AxisHIWESRTKRC
Valuation 55 #66 of 145 78 #33 of 145 71 #43 of 145
Growth 36 #90 of 141 1 #139 of 141 1 #140 of 141
Profitability 63 #50 of 134 26 #99 of 134 45 #74 of 134
Financial Health 31 #96 of 138 57 #60 of 138 64 #50 of 138
Shareholder Returns 58 #56 of 131 13 #114 of 131 42 #77 of 131
Overall 49 35 44
  • HIW ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • ESRT ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs
  • KRC ranked among 149 companies in Property REITs

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodHIWESRTKRCSPY
1 month -0.9%+22.4%+5.2% -0.2%
3 months -11.3%-11.1%-7.0% +3.9%
6 months +19.7%-12.2%+5.5% +8.2%
Year to date +15.5%-22.9%-3.7% +12.9%
1 year +0.9%-36.8%-12.8% +12.3%
3 years +67.6%-37.3%+30.3% +87.4%
3 years, per year +18.8%-14.4%+9.2% +23.3%
5 years -34.3%-49.6%-47.1% +67.9%
5 years, per year -8.1%-12.8%-12.0% +10.9%
10 years -39.0%-74.0%-49.0% +261.1%
10 years, per year -4.8%-12.6%-6.5% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureHIWESRTKRCSPY
Volatility, 1Y 29.3%36.6%29.2% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.0%41.8%30.1% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.550.320.56 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.03-1.01-0.44 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -62.9%-65.6%-67.0% -25.4%
From 52-week high -13.3%-36.8%-17.2% -1.2%
52-week high $34.39$7.96$43.48 $779.14
52-week low $20.58$3.93$27.72 $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.

MultipleHIWESRTKRC
P/E now vs peer median 17.8xmedian 26.3x 280.0xmedian 26.3x 146.4xmedian 26.3x
P/S now vs peer median 3.9xmedian 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 -9.0xmedian 23.3x -2.0xmedian 23.3x -59.6xmedian 23.3x
P/B now vs peer median 1.3xmedian 1.3x 0.5xmedian 1.3x 0.8xmedian 1.3x
PEG now vs peer median 1.89median 1.91 -4.68median 1.91 -2.98median 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 monthsHIWESRTKRC
Revenue $851.95M $784.18M $1.09B
Operating income – -$34.52M –
Net income $193.92M $9.26M $47.42M
Free cash flow -$366.24M -$437.31M -$70.24M
EPS (diluted) $1.65 $0.01 $0.24
Cash & equivalents $279.21M $85.61M $94.30M
Total debt $3.51B $4.54B $4.38B
Shares (diluted) 112.32M 268.95M 117.24M
Enterprise value $3.00B $1.14B $3.55B

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
MetricHIWESRTKRC
P/E 17.8x 280.0x 146.4x
P/FCF -9.0x -2.0x -59.6x
P/Operating cash flow 8.7x 3.8x 8.5x
P/S 3.9x 1.1x 3.9x
P/B 1.3x 0.5x 0.8x
P/Tangible book 1.4x 0.5x 0.8x
EV/EBITDA – 10.0x –
EV/EBIT – -50.2x –
EV/Revenue 7.7x 2.2x 7.8x
EV/FCF -17.8x -4.0x -120.1x
EV/Operating cash flow 17.2x 7.6x 17.1x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 1.89 -4.68 -2.98

Growth

14 metrics
MetricHIWESRTKRC
Revenue growth (1Y) 5.4% 2.0% -3.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 0.5% 2.9% -1.7%
Gross profit growth (1Y) – – –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) – – –
Operating income growth (1Y) – -123.1% –
Operating income CAGR (3Y) – -31.0% –
Net income growth (1Y) 49.5% -86.5% -86.5%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 11.2% -51.3% -42.1%
EPS growth (1Y) 46.0% -92.4% -91.0%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 9.4% -59.8% -49.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 4.5% -13.3% -12.6%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) -0.6% -0.8% -6.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -176.2% -169.4% -237.0%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -66.8% -149.9% -52.0%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricHIWESRTKRC
Gross margin – – –
EBITDA margin – 22.1% –
Operating margin – -4.4% –
Pretax margin – 1.3% –
Net margin 21.7% 0.4% 2.6%
FCF margin -43.0% -55.8% -6.5%
Operating cash flow margin 44.5% 29.0% 45.5%
Return on equity 7.5% 0.5% 0.9%
Return on assets 3.0% 0.2% 0.4%
Return on invested capital – -1.1% –
Return on capital employed – – –
Asset turnover 0.1x 0.2x 0.1x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.0x 24.6x 10.4x
Stock comp / revenue 1.1% 3.9% 1.5%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricHIWESRTKRC
Debt / assets 54.5% 22.4% 41.8%
Debt / equity 1.4x 0.5x 0.8x
Net debt / EBITDA – 5.0x –
Debt / FCF -9.6x -2.2x -62.3x
Liabilities / assets 60.2% 58.1% 48.4%
Equity / assets 39.8% 41.9% 51.6%
Interest coverage – -0.3x –
Current ratio – – –
Quick ratio – – –
Cash ratio – – –
Altman Z-score – – –

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricHIWESRTKRC
Dividend yield 6.7% 3.1% 6.0%
Net buyback yield -0.4% – 1.7%
Shareholder yield 6.3% 3.1% 7.7%
Payout ratio (earnings) 113.6% 259.1% 539.6%
Payout ratio (FCF) -60.1% -5.5% -364.3%
Dividend growth (1Y) 2.3% 2.2% -0.7%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) 1.5% 1.9% 0.1%

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.

ConsensusHIWESRTKRC
Forward P/E 26.2xFY2026 – 156.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $1.14FY2026 $-0.35FY2027 $0.23FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -21.4%FY2026 -240.0%FY2027 -90.1%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -36.0% – +82.6%
Revenue, next fiscal year $908.60MFY2026 $758.24MFY2026 $1.13BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +12.7%FY2026 -1.3%FY2026 +2.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -8.1% +4.5% +0.9%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersHIWESRTKRC
Held by institutions 100.0% 83.6% 100.0%
Institutions holding 371 228 385
Change in shares held, QoQ +10.9% +0.4% +0.0%
Institutions buying 214 141 212
Institutions selling 102 51 121
Buyers to sellers 2.10 2.76 1.75

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.

HIWESRTKRC
HIW 1.00 0.48 0.70
ESRT 0.48 1.00 0.38
KRC 0.70 0.38 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, HIW, ESRT and KRC?

Kilroy Realty (KRC) is the largest by market capitalisation: Highwoods Properties (HIW) $3.29B, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) $864.10M, Kilroy Realty (KRC) $4.18B.

Which stock is cheaper, HIW, ESRT and KRC?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Highwoods Properties (HIW) 17.8x, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 280.0x, Kilroy Realty (KRC) 146.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, Highwoods Properties (HIW) is cheapest (Highwoods Properties (HIW) 26.2x, Kilroy Realty (KRC) 156.4x). 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: Highwoods Properties (HIW) +5.4%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) +2.0%, Kilroy Realty (KRC) -3.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) has the highest net margin (Highwoods Properties (HIW) 21.7%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 0.4%, Kilroy Realty (KRC) 2.6%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Highwoods Properties (HIW) returned the most: Highwoods Properties (HIW) +0.9%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) -36.8%, Kilroy Realty (KRC) -12.8%. Over five years, Highwoods Properties (HIW) compounded fastest (Highwoods Properties (HIW) -8.1%/yr, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) -12.8%/yr, Kilroy Realty (KRC) -12.0%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Highwoods Properties (HIW) has the highest dividend yield: Highwoods Properties (HIW) 6.70%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 3.08%, Kilroy Realty (KRC) 6.00%.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Kilroy Realty (KRC) has been the steadiest (Highwoods Properties (HIW) 29.3%, Empire State Realty Trust (ESRT) 36.6%, Kilroy Realty (KRC) 29.2%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

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.