We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Prudent investment and disposition activity reflect disciplined capital management and growth focus.
Robust liquidity of $2.1B and investment-grade ratings underpin financial flexibility and dividend strength.
W.P. Carey’s (WPC - Free Report) is poised to benefit from a high-quality, mission-critical, diversified portfolio of single-tenant net lease commercial real estate in the United States and Northern and Western Europe. Its specialty in long-term sale-leaseback transactions with contractual rental bumps leads to steady revenue generation. Strategic portfolio repositioning efforts appear promising. A solid balance sheet aids future growth endeavors.
Last month, WPC reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share of $1.25, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23. The figure improved 5.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Results reflected higher revenues, aided by strong investment activity and a disciplined disposition strategy. WPC raised its full-year 2025 AFFO per share guidance.
Analysts seem bullish about this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 AFFO per share being revised northward by one cent over the past month to $4.92.
WPC shares have rallied 23.6% year to date, outperforming the industry’s growth of 5.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors That Make W.P. Carey Stock a Solid Pick
High-Quality, Mission-Critical Portfolio: W.P. Carey invests in high-quality assets that are mission-critical for its tenants’ operations. The company specializes in sale-leaseback transactions, whereby it acquires critical real estate and then leases it back to the seller on a long-term, triple-net basis. Under this arrangement, the lessee needs to pay the majority of the operational and maintenance costs for the property. As such, due to the inherent nature of its portfolio, the REIT enjoys higher occupancy, which stood at 97% as of Sept. 30, 2025, and generates better risk-adjusted returns.
Diverse Tenant Base and Contractual Rent Escalators: W.P. Carey’s portfolio is well-diversified by tenant, industry, property type and geography, aiding steady revenue generation. As of Sept. 30, 2025, its top 10 tenants constitute 18.6% of ABR. Moreover, the existence of long-term net leases with built-in rent escalations yields stable cash flows. The company witnessed contractual same-store rent growth of 2.4% in the third quarter of 2025.
Expansionary Efforts: W.P. Carey has been capitalizing on growth opportunities. The total investment value from the beginning of the year through Oct. 27 reached $1.6 billion, and the disposition volume was around $1 billion. The sale would largely include non-core assets comprising self-storage operating properties. The gross sale proceeds are to be used for funding value-accretive investments. Such match-funding efforts indicate the company’s prudent capital-management practices and will relieve pressure from its balance sheet, which is encouraging.
Balance Sheet Strength: W.P. Carey has a healthy balance sheet position with ample liquidity. As of Sept. 30, 2025, the company had a total liquidity of $2.1 billion, including around $1.6 billion of available capacity under its senior unsecured credit facility. The company’s share of pro rata net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 5.9X. The company also enjoys investment-grade ratings of BBB+ from S&P Global Ratings and Baa1 from Moody’s, rendering it favorable access to the debt market.
Steady Dividend Payouts: Solid dividend payouts are arguably the biggest enticement for investment in REIT stocks, and W.P. Carey remains committed to them. After reducing its dividend in December 2023 to 86 cents from the prior quarter's dividend payment of $1.07 as a result of the company’s strategic plan to exit its office assets, W.P. Carey increased its dividend five times, which is encouraging.
Specifically, in September 2025, the company’s board announced a regular quarterly dividend of 91 cents per share, indicating a 1.1% hike from 90 cents paid a quarter ago. Looking at the company’s operating environment and financial position compared to that of the industry, its current dividend is expected to be sustainable in the upcoming period.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s 2025 FFO per share is pinned at $2.83, indicating year-over-year growth of 5.2%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLR’s 2025 FFO per share stands at $7.35, calling for an increase of 9.5% from the year-ago reported figure.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Why W.P. Carey Deserves a Spot in Your Portfolio Right Now
Key Takeaways
W.P. Carey’s (WPC - Free Report) is poised to benefit from a high-quality, mission-critical, diversified portfolio of single-tenant net lease commercial real estate in the United States and Northern and Western Europe. Its specialty in long-term sale-leaseback transactions with contractual rental bumps leads to steady revenue generation. Strategic portfolio repositioning efforts appear promising. A solid balance sheet aids future growth endeavors.
Last month, WPC reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share of $1.25, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.23. The figure improved 5.9% from the year-ago quarter.
Results reflected higher revenues, aided by strong investment activity and a disciplined disposition strategy. WPC raised its full-year 2025 AFFO per share guidance.
Analysts seem bullish about this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2025 AFFO per share being revised northward by one cent over the past month to $4.92.
WPC shares have rallied 23.6% year to date, outperforming the industry’s growth of 5.8%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors That Make W.P. Carey Stock a Solid Pick
High-Quality, Mission-Critical Portfolio: W.P. Carey invests in high-quality assets that are mission-critical for its tenants’ operations. The company specializes in sale-leaseback transactions, whereby it acquires critical real estate and then leases it back to the seller on a long-term, triple-net basis. Under this arrangement, the lessee needs to pay the majority of the operational and maintenance costs for the property. As such, due to the inherent nature of its portfolio, the REIT enjoys higher occupancy, which stood at 97% as of Sept. 30, 2025, and generates better risk-adjusted returns.
Diverse Tenant Base and Contractual Rent Escalators: W.P. Carey’s portfolio is well-diversified by tenant, industry, property type and geography, aiding steady revenue generation. As of Sept. 30, 2025, its top 10 tenants constitute 18.6% of ABR. Moreover, the existence of long-term net leases with built-in rent escalations yields stable cash flows. The company witnessed contractual same-store rent growth of 2.4% in the third quarter of 2025.
Expansionary Efforts: W.P. Carey has been capitalizing on growth opportunities. The total investment value from the beginning of the year through Oct. 27 reached $1.6 billion, and the disposition volume was around $1 billion. The sale would largely include non-core assets comprising self-storage operating properties. The gross sale proceeds are to be used for funding value-accretive investments. Such match-funding efforts indicate the company’s prudent capital-management practices and will relieve pressure from its balance sheet, which is encouraging.
Balance Sheet Strength: W.P. Carey has a healthy balance sheet position with ample liquidity. As of Sept. 30, 2025, the company had a total liquidity of $2.1 billion, including around $1.6 billion of available capacity under its senior unsecured credit facility. The company’s share of pro rata net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 5.9X. The company also enjoys investment-grade ratings of BBB+ from S&P Global Ratings and Baa1 from Moody’s, rendering it favorable access to the debt market.
Steady Dividend Payouts: Solid dividend payouts are arguably the biggest enticement for investment in REIT stocks, and W.P. Carey remains committed to them. After reducing its dividend in December 2023 to 86 cents from the prior quarter's dividend payment of $1.07 as a result of the company’s strategic plan to exit its office assets, W.P. Carey increased its dividend five times, which is encouraging.
Specifically, in September 2025, the company’s board announced a regular quarterly dividend of 91 cents per share, indicating a 1.1% hike from 90 cents paid a quarter ago. Looking at the company’s operating environment and financial position compared to that of the industry, its current dividend is expected to be sustainable in the upcoming period.
Other Stocks to Consider
Some other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) and Digital Realty Trust (DLR - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s 2025 FFO per share is pinned at $2.83, indicating year-over-year growth of 5.2%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for DLR’s 2025 FFO per share stands at $7.35, calling for an increase of 9.5% from the year-ago reported figure.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.