AMT vs. HST: American Tower vs. Host Hotels & Resorts Stock Comparison

Company Profile

American Tower (AMT) and Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) both fall under the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group, but AMT is classified in Specialized REITs while HST is classified in Hotel & Resort REITs.

Both American Tower (AMT) and Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both companies show strong equity returns, but American Tower (AMT) at 32.96% is the standout with ROE above its industry range; Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 14.21% also sits in the top quartile.

Neither American Tower (AMT) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) is well served by net margin: heavy depreciation makes net income a poor profitability proxy in their businesses, where FFO-based measures are the standard read.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for American Tower (AMT) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both American Tower (AMT) at 5.11% and Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 7.57% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either American Tower (AMT) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 5.39 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while American Tower (AMT) at 0.35 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.

Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 0.86 is near its industry mid-range for debt-to-equity ratio, while American Tower (AMT) at 4.64 sits above its benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

American Tower (AMT) at 3.64% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 3.25% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

An earnings-based payout ratio fits neither American Tower (AMT) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): their distributions are mandated and conventionally measured against FFO, so the accounting-earnings ratio overstates both.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either American Tower (AMT) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): depreciation suppresses reported earnings in their businesses, and price-to-FFO is the conventional yardstick instead.

Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 2.73 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while American Tower (AMT) at 7.95 prices around its industry’s middle — HST costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.

Both look rich against book: Host Hotels & Resorts (HST) at 2.66 sits in the upper P/B ratio quartile, and American Tower (AMT) at 24.92 prices even higher, above its industry range.

Valuation Metrics