Tearsheet

Investment Highlights Why It Matters Which of these 2 stories sounds closer for this stock?

1. Generates cash flow

The stock generated 4% or more of the share price (called cash flow yield), and shows moderate 10-15% or more growth.

2. Riding a trend

Think Tesla during the pandemic of 2020 when EVs were riding a cultural high, or Nvidia in the current AI boom, or even Figma. These companies don’t have enough yield, or, enough growth, or both - however - they are riding a trend. They have momentum. These can be more volatile - they don’t have the floor of strong cash flow


0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 7.7%, Dividend Yield is 5.2%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 3.5%, FCF Yield is 8.5%
Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -30%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -69%
Debt is significant
Net D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 57%
1 Attractive operating margins
Op Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 51%
  Key risks
WPC key risks include [1] questionable dividend sustainability due to an extremely high payout ratio and a recent dividend reduction, Show more.
2 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 76%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 76%
  
3 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 20%
  
4 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include E-commerce Logistics & Data Centers, and Sustainable & Green Buildings. Themes include E-commerce Logistics REITs, Data Center REITs, Show more.
  
0 Attractive yield
Total YieldTotal Yield = Earnings Yield + Dividend Yield, Earnings Yield = Net Income / Market Cap Dividend Yield = Total Dividends / Market Cap is 7.7%, Dividend Yield is 5.2%, ERPEquity Risk Premium (ERP) = Total Yield - Risk Free Rate, Reflects the premium above risk free assets offered by the investment. is 3.5%, FCF Yield is 8.5%
1 Attractive operating margins
Op Mgn LTMOperating Margin = Operating Income / Revenue Reflects profitability before taxes and before impact of capital structure (interest payments). is 51%
2 Attractive cash flow generation
CFO/Rev LTMCash Flow from Operations / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 76%, FCF/Rev LTMFree Cash Flow / Revenue (Sales), Last Twelve Months (LTM) is 76%
3 Low stock price volatility
Vol 12M is 20%
4 Megatrend and thematic drivers
Megatrends include E-commerce Logistics & Data Centers, and Sustainable & Green Buildings. Themes include E-commerce Logistics REITs, Data Center REITs, Show more.
5 Weak multi-year price returns
2Y Excs Rtn is -30%, 3Y Excs Rtn is -69%
6 Debt is significant
Net D/ENet Debt/Equity. Debt net of cash. Negative indicates net cash. Equity is taken as the Market Capitalization is 57%
7 Key risks
WPC key risks include [1] questionable dividend sustainability due to an extremely high payout ratio and a recent dividend reduction, Show more.

Valuation, Metrics & Events

WPC Stock


Why The Stock Moved


Qualitative Assessment

AI Generated Analysis | Feedback

Here are five key points explaining the approximate -1.6% stock movement for W.P. Carey (WPC) during the period from August 31, 2025, to December 18, 2025: 1. Analyst Downgrades and Price Target Reductions: In late 2025, W.P. Carey experienced several analyst downgrades and price target reductions from major financial institutions. For instance, Evercore ISI cut its price target, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered its price objective. Royal Bank of Canada downgraded WPC from "outperform" to "sector perform" in early December 2025, while Barclays maintained an "underweight" rating. These revisions indicated a less optimistic outlook on the company's future performance or valuation by a portion of the analyst community. 2. Concerns over Dividend Payout Ratio: Despite W.P. Carey's announcements of increased quarterly dividends in September and December 2025, concerns were highlighted regarding the sustainability of these payouts. One report indicated a dividend payout ratio of 135.3%, suggesting that the company's current earnings could not fully cover the dividend payments, thus relying on its balance sheet. This situation, even with projections for future improvement, could lead to investor apprehension regarding the long-term dividend reliability. 3.

Show more

Stock Movement Drivers

Return vs. Risk


Price Returns Compared

 202020212022202320242025Total [1]
Returns
WPC Return-6%23%0%-10%-11%24%16%
Peers Return33%-13%5%-1%13%
S&P 500 Return16%27%-19%24%23%14%108%

Monthly Win Rates [3]
WPC Win Rate50%67%50%25%50%67% 
Peers Win Rate58%68%47%45%55%58% 
S&P 500 Win Rate58%75%42%67%75%73% 

Max Drawdowns [4]
WPC Max Drawdown-45%-6%-13%-30%-16%-2% 
Peers Max Drawdown-7%-25%-18%-14%-7% 
S&P 500 Max Drawdown-31%-1%-25%-1%-2%-15% 


[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] Peers: O, ADC, NNN, BNL, PLD. See WPC Returns vs. Peers.
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
[5] 2025 data is for the year up to 12/17/2025 (YTD)

How Low Can It Go

Unique KeyEventWPCS&P 500
2022 Inflation Shock2022 Inflation Shock  
2022 Inflation Shock% Loss% Loss-41.5%-25.4%
2022 Inflation Shock% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven71.0%34.1%
2022 Inflation ShockTime to BreakevenTime to BreakevenNot Fully Recovered days464 days
2020 Covid Pandemic2020 Covid Pandemic  
2020 Covid Pandemic% Loss% Loss-50.3%-33.9%
2020 Covid Pandemic% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven101.3%51.3%
2020 Covid PandemicTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven858 days148 days
2018 Correction2018 Correction  
2018 Correction% Loss% Loss-18.0%-19.8%
2018 Correction% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven21.9%24.7%
2018 CorrectionTime to BreakevenTime to BreakevenNot Fully Recovered days120 days
2008 Global Financial Crisis2008 Global Financial Crisis  
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Loss% Loss-53.3%-56.8%
2008 Global Financial Crisis% Gain to Breakeven% Gain to Breakeven114.3%131.3%
2008 Global Financial CrisisTime to BreakevenTime to Breakeven751 days1,480 days

Compare to O, VNO, EPR, ALX, JBGS


In The Past

W.P. Carey's stock fell -41.5% during the 2022 Inflation Shock from a high on 7/29/2022. A -41.5% loss requires a 71.0% gain to breakeven.

Preserve Wealth

Limiting losses and compounding gains is essential to preserving wealth over time.

Asset Allocation

Actively managed asset allocation strategies protect wealth. Learn more.

About W.P. Carey (WPC)

Better Bets than W.P. Carey (WPC)

Latest Trefis Analyses

Trade Ideas

Select past ideas related to WPC. For more, see Trefis Trade Ideas.

Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
MPW_10312025_Short_Squeeze10312025MPWMedical Properties TrustSpecialShort Squeeze PotentialShort Squeeze Potential
Has potential for a short squeeze. High short interest, rising short interest and high debt.
-1.7%-1.7%-5.8%
WPC_3312020_Dip_Buyer_2_Growing_With_High_FCF_Yield03312020WPCW.P. CareyDip BuyDB | Growth | FCF YieldDip Buy with Growth and High Free Cash Flow Yield
Buying dips for companies with growth, and significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap)
15.7%29.5%-13.5%
Unique KeyDateTickerCompanyCategoryTrade Strategy6M Fwd Rtn12M Fwd Rtn12M Max DD
MPW_10312025_Short_Squeeze10312025MPWMedical Properties TrustSpecialShort Squeeze PotentialShort Squeeze Potential
Has potential for a short squeeze. High short interest, rising short interest and high debt.
-1.7%-1.7%-5.8%
WPC_3312020_Dip_Buyer_2_Growing_With_High_FCF_Yield03312020WPCW.P. CareyDip BuyDB | Growth | FCF YieldDip Buy with Growth and High Free Cash Flow Yield
Buying dips for companies with growth, and significant free cash flow yield (FCF / Market Cap)
15.7%29.5%-13.5%

Recent Active Movers

Recent Active Movers

More From Trefis

Peer Comparisons for W.P. Carey

Peers to compare with:

Financials

WPCOADCNNNBNLPLDMedian
NameW.P. Car.Realty I.Agree Re.NNN REIT Broadsto.Prologis  
Mkt Price65.1557.7672.1740.6817.51128.0761.45
Mkt Cap14.452.88.07.63.3119.011.2
Rev LTM1,6785,6126899064488,7381,292
Op Inc LTM8482,5643305572203,476703
FCF LTM1,2743,7634846592495,186966
FCF 3Y Avg1,3953,3184376342415,1381,015
CFO LTM1,2743,7634846592795,186966
CFO 3Y Avg1,3953,3184376342745,1381,015

Growth & Margins

WPCOADCNNNBNLPLDMedian
NameW.P. Car.Realty I.Agree Re.NNN REIT Broadsto.Prologis  
Rev Chg LTM5.6%14.7%14.7%4.5%5.5%10.7%8.2%
Rev Chg 3Y Avg5.6%21.5%19.5%6.0%5.3%18.1%12.0%
Rev Chg Q8.5%9.1%18.7%5.3%5.3%8.7%8.6%
QoQ Delta Rev Chg LTM2.1%2.1%4.4%1.3%1.3%2.1%2.1%
Op Mgn LTM50.5%45.7%47.9%61.5%49.1%39.8%48.5%
Op Mgn 3Y Avg48.0%42.6%48.4%62.0%49.4%38.1%48.2%
QoQ Delta Op Mgn LTM1.0%1.1%0.0%-0.1%0.1%0.4%0.2%
CFO/Rev LTM75.9%67.1%70.3%72.7%62.2%59.3%68.7%
CFO/Rev 3Y Avg84.4%69.5%73.1%73.6%62.2%63.0%71.3%
FCF/Rev LTM75.9%67.1%70.3%72.7%55.6%59.3%68.7%
FCF/Rev 3Y Avg84.4%69.5%73.1%73.6%54.8%63.0%71.3%

Valuation

WPCOADCNNNBNLPLDMedian
NameW.P. Car.Realty I.Agree Re.NNN REIT Broadsto.Prologis  
Mkt Cap14.452.88.07.63.3119.011.2
P/S8.99.911.58.87.512.29.4
P/EBIT21.525.924.413.618.423.222.4
P/E40.857.740.820.437.433.239.1
P/CFO11.714.816.312.112.120.513.5
Total Yield7.7%6.9%6.6%10.4%9.2%3.0%7.3%
Dividend Yield5.2%5.2%4.2%5.5%6.5%0.0%5.2%
FCF Yield 3Y Avg10.4%6.9%6.4%8.3%7.6%4.7%7.3%
D/E0.60.50.40.60.70.30.6
Net D/E0.60.50.40.60.70.30.5

Returns

WPCOADCNNNBNLPLDMedian
NameW.P. Car.Realty I.Agree Re.NNN REIT Broadsto.Prologis  
1M Rtn-2.8%1.8%-1.9%-0.9%-3.8%4.5%-1.4%
3M Rtn-2.8%-1.9%1.3%-3.0%-3.5%13.3%-2.4%
6M Rtn5.2%3.2%-2.1%-1.9%11.5%23.9%4.2%
12M Rtn22.6%12.1%2.7%2.9%12.0%21.8%12.0%
3Y Rtn-0.7%7.2%16.8%5.7%28.4%25.5%12.0%
1M Excs Rtn-3.5%1.1%-2.6%-1.6%-4.6%3.8%-2.1%
3M Excs Rtn-3.5%-2.3%0.6%-3.7%-5.4%10.7%-2.9%
6M Excs Rtn-7.2%-9.2%-14.5%-14.3%-0.9%11.5%-8.2%
12M Excs Rtn10.1%-0.6%-10.3%-9.8%0.1%9.3%-0.3%
3Y Excs Rtn-68.7%-63.2%-53.2%-65.4%-44.4%-48.3%-58.2%

Financials

Segment Financials

Revenue by Segment

$ Mil20242023202220212020
Single Segment1,741    
Investment Management    60
Real Estate    1,173
Total1,741   1,233


Price Behavior

Short Interest

Short Interest: As Of Date11282025
Short Interest: Shares Quantity7,596,085
Short Interest: % Change Since 111520251.1%
Average Daily Volume1,171,615
Days-to-Cover Short Interest6.48
Basic Shares Quantity220,562,909
Short % of Basic Shares3.4%

Earnings Returns History

Expand for More

 Forward Returns
Earnings Date1D Returns5D Returns21D Returns
10/28/20250.3%-0.3%1.9%
7/29/2025-1.6%2.2%3.3%
4/29/20252.1%0.3%3.2%
2/11/20252.8%7.6%9.8%
10/29/2024-0.9%-1.6%1.4%
7/30/2024-4.9%-6.1%-1.8%
4/30/2024-0.4%5.3%2.3%
2/9/2024-6.5%-6.6%-5.2%
...
SUMMARY STATS   
# Positive141114
# Negative111411
Median Positive2.1%2.3%3.0%
Median Negative-3.3%-3.4%-4.7%
Max Positive5.3%7.6%17.1%
Max Negative-6.5%-8.7%-41.8%

SEC Filings

Expand for More

Report DateFiling DateFiling
93020251029202510-Q 9/30/2025
6302025730202510-Q 6/30/2025
3312025430202510-Q 3/31/2025
12312024212202510-K 12/31/2024
93020241030202410-Q 9/30/2024
6302024731202410-Q 6/30/2024
3312024501202410-Q 3/31/2024
12312023209202410-K 12/31/2023
93020231103202310-Q 9/30/2023
6302023728202310-Q 6/30/2023
3312023428202310-Q 3/31/2023
12312022210202310-K 12/31/2022
93020221104202210-Q 9/30/2022
6302022729202210-Q 6/30/2022
3312022429202210-Q 3/31/2022
12312021211202210-K 12/31/2021