Head to Head: Highwoods Properties vs. Lamar Advertising

A comparison of the two finance companies' dividends, risk, profitability, and more

Feb. 4, 2026 at 4:55am

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Highwoods Properties (NYSE:HIW) and Lamar Advertising (NASDAQ:LAMR) are both finance companies, but which one is the better investment? This article compares the two businesses on factors like dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, and valuation to determine which is the superior stock.

Why it matters

Investors looking to invest in the finance sector may be trying to decide between Highwoods Properties and Lamar Advertising. Understanding the key differences between the two companies can help inform an investment decision.

The details

Highwoods Properties has a beta of 1.06, indicating its stock is 6% more volatile than the S&P 500, while Lamar Advertising has a beta of 1.23, making its stock 23% more volatile. Highwoods Properties pays an annual dividend of $2.00 per share (7.8% yield), while Lamar Advertising pays $6.20 per share (4.9% yield). However, both companies pay out more in dividends than they earn, suggesting their dividend payments may not be sustainable long-term. Highwoods Properties is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Lamar Advertising, making it the more affordable of the two stocks currently. Lamar Advertising beats Highwoods Properties on 12 of the 17 factors compared.

  • The analysis is based on recent ratings and price targets provided by MarketBeat.

The players

Highwoods Properties

A publicly-traded (NYSE:HIW), fully-integrated office real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns, develops, acquires, leases and manages properties primarily in the best business districts of several major U.S. cities.

Lamar Advertising

An outdoor advertising company that operates billboards, logo signs, and transit advertising displays in the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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The takeaway

Based on the analysis, Lamar Advertising appears to be the stronger of the two stocks, beating Highwoods Properties on more key metrics. However, both companies have high dividend payout ratios that may not be sustainable long-term. Investors should carefully consider the risks and fundamentals of each company before making an investment decision.