10 Must-Buy Real Estate Stocks to Invest In

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6. Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ)

On March 12, 2026, BMO Capital lowered the price target on Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ) to $27 from $31 and maintained an Outperform rating. BMO noted the REIT’s shares trade at a 36% discount to its COVID-era FFO multiple despite rising occupancy and stronger leasing activity, adding that the company could continue benefiting from a flight-to-quality trend in its Sunbelt markets.

On February 26, 2026, Barclays lowered its price target on CUZ to $28 from $34 and maintained an Overweight rating after updating models across the office real estate investment trust group following Q4 reports. Barclays said the “AI disruption narrative” is likely to continue weighing on office valuations.

Earlier in February, CUZ reported Q4 FFO of 71c, in line with the 71c consensus estimate. Revenue totaled $255.03M compared with the $251.49M consensus estimate. CEO Colin Connolly said “improving office fundamentals” is creating tailwinds for the company, noting that Cousins executed 700,000 square feet of leases during the quarter and has a late-stage pipeline of roughly 1.1 million square feet. Connolly also pointed to the recent acquisition of 300 South Tryon in Uptown Charlotte and said the company has purchased $1.4B of lifestyle office properties over the past six quarters, helping upgrade its Sun Belt portfolio and support its 2026 earnings outlook.

Cousins Properties Incorporated (NYSE:CUZ) is a real estate investment trust focused on Class A office buildings in high-growth Sun Belt markets.

While we acknowledge the potential of CUZ to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than CUZ and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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