Realty Income (NYSE: O) has a market cap of approximately $50 billion and operates over 15,600 properties, while its competitor, W.P. Carey (NYSE: WPC), has a market cap of just under $14 billion and owns around 1,600 properties. Both companies are leaders in the net-lease REIT sector and have dividend yields of around 5.6%.
Realty Income has a 30-year history of increasing its dividend payouts, which are made monthly. In contrast, W.P. Carey, which recently reduced its dividend after exiting the office sector, pays on a quarterly basis and has resumed growth with a recent quarterly increase of roughly 1.1%.
Overall, Realty Income appeals to conservative income investors, while W.P. Carey may attract those looking for faster growth, making a combined investment in both a potentially strong strategy for income generation and portfolio diversification.
