ARE vs. WPC: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on August 25, 2025

Here’s a clear look at ARE and WPC, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

Both ARE and WPC are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). These entities are required to distribute the majority of their taxable income to shareholders, often resulting in higher dividend yields.

Symbol	ARE	WPC
Company Name	Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.	W. P. Carey Inc.
Country	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Real Estate	Real Estate
GICS Industry	Office REITs	Diversified REITs
Market Capitalization	13.22 billion USD	14.59 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	May 28, 1997	January 21, 1998
Security Type	REIT	REIT

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of ARE and WPC by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

ARE vs. WPC: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	WPC
5-Day Price Return	4.39%	2.21%
13-Week Price Return	7.44%	7.87%
26-Week Price Return	-17.81%	13.16%
52-Week Price Return	-31.76%	13.90%
Month-to-Date Return	2.41%	3.83%
Year-to-Date Return	-19.76%	22.28%
10-Day Avg. Volume	1.73M	1.11M
3-Month Avg. Volume	1.75M	1.20M
3-Month Volatility	31.33%	17.13%
Beta	1.33	0.85

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

ARE

-0.06%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 9.47%
Q3: 6.07%
Median: 3.22%
Q1: 0.83%
Min: -0.08%

ARE has a negative Return on Equity of -0.06%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

WPC

4.00%

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 6.83%
Q3: 6.09%
Median: 5.03%
Q1: 3.60%
Min: 1.04%

WPC’s Return on Equity of 4.00% is on par with the norm for the Diversified REITs industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

ARE

-0.32%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 74.75%
Q3: 44.46%
Median: 31.39%
Q1: 5.85%
Min: -0.35%

In the Office REITs industry, Net Profit Margin is often not the primary profitability metric.

WPC

20.42%

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 74.45%
Q3: 47.03%
Median: 29.55%
Q1: 5.81%
Min: -25.03%

In the Diversified REITs industry, Net Profit Margin is often not the primary profitability metric.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

ARE

12.67%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 91.62%
Q3: 51.67%
Median: 42.78%
Q1: 23.56%
Min: 14.93%

In the Office REITs industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

WPC

48.73%

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 77.33%
Q3: 62.47%
Median: 45.87%
Q1: 21.58%
Min: 3.72%

In the Diversified REITs industry, Operating Profit Margin is often not the primary measure of operational efficiency.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	WPC
Return on Equity (TTM)	-0.06%	4.00%
Return on Assets (TTM)	-0.03%	1.91%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	-0.32%	20.42%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	12.67%	48.73%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	71.25%	89.03%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.40

Office REITs Industry

Max: 1.49
Q3: 1.22
Median: 0.67
Q1: 0.44
Min: 0.14

ARE’s Current Ratio of 0.40 falls into the lower quartile for the Office REITs industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

WPC

0.29

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 2.37
Q3: 1.58
Median: 0.64
Q1: 0.30
Min: 0.09

WPC’s Current Ratio of 0.29 falls into the lower quartile for the Diversified REITs industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.77

Office REITs Industry

Max: 1.62
Q3: 1.32
Median: 0.87
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.42

ARE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.77 is typical for the Office REITs industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

WPC

1.05

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 1.15
Q3: 0.88
Median: 0.69
Q1: 0.55
Min: 0.18

WPC’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Diversified REITs industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.05. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

ARE

2.75

Office REITs Industry

Max: 3.98
Q3: 3.37
Median: 1.66
Q1: 1.16
Min: 0.14

ARE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.75 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Office REITs industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

WPC

3.30

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 11.29
Q3: 5.53
Median: 2.13
Q1: 1.00
Min: 0.40

WPC’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 3.30 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Diversified REITs industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	WPC
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.40	0.29
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.40	0.29
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.77	1.05
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	2.75	3.30

Growth

Revenue Growth

ARE vs. WPC: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

ARE vs. WPC: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

ARE

6.74%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 6.88%
Q3: 5.94%
Median: 4.58%
Q1: 3.82%
Min: 1.22%

With a Dividend Yield of 6.74%, ARE offers a more attractive income stream than most of its peers in the Office REITs industry, signaling a strong commitment to shareholder returns.

WPC

5.36%

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 7.62%
Q3: 6.47%
Median: 5.27%
Q1: 4.51%
Min: 2.20%

WPC’s Dividend Yield of 5.36% is consistent with its peers in the Diversified REITs industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

ARE

174.29%

Office REITs Industry

Max: 231.12%
Q3: 180.65%
Median: 94.76%
Q1: 87.60%
Min: 1.02%

ARE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 174.29% is within the typical range for the Office REITs industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

WPC

230.94%

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 227.63%
Q3: 177.91%
Median: 95.61%
Q1: 65.09%
Min: 49.88%

At 230.94%, WPC’s Dividend Payout Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical range for the Diversified REITs industry. While this provides a significant return to shareholders, it may limit funds for reinvestment and could be difficult to sustain.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	WPC
Dividend Yield (TTM)	6.74%	5.36%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	174.29%	230.94%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

ARE

Office REITs Industry

Max: 48.29
Q3: 44.14
Median: 23.60
Q1: 18.77
Min: 6.08

The P/E Ratio is often not the primary metric for valuation in the Office REITs industry.

WPC

43.10

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 33.15
Q3: 27.78
Median: 21.77
Q1: 11.55
Min: 10.44

The P/E Ratio is often not the primary metric for valuation in the Diversified REITs industry.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

ARE

4.21

Office REITs Industry

Max: 14.09
Q3: 9.33
Median: 6.96
Q1: 4.25
Min: 2.65

In the lower quartile for the Office REITs industry, ARE’s P/S Ratio of 4.21 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

WPC

8.80

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 13.25
Q3: 9.09
Median: 7.48
Q1: 4.24
Min: 1.63

WPC’s P/S Ratio of 8.80 aligns with the market consensus for the Diversified REITs industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

ARE

0.73

Office REITs Industry

Max: 2.06
Q3: 1.34
Median: 1.02
Q1: 0.68
Min: 0.57

ARE’s P/B Ratio of 0.73 is within the conventional range for the Office REITs industry. This shows a balanced market view, where the stock’s price is neither at a significant premium nor a discount to the book value of its peers.

WPC

1.66

Diversified REITs Industry

Max: 1.65
Q3: 1.09
Median: 0.76
Q1: 0.65
Min: 0.49

At 1.66, WPC’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Diversified REITs industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

ARE vs. WPC: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Office REITs and Diversified REITs industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	ARE	WPC
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	--	43.10
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	4.21	8.80
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	0.73	1.66
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	539.86	68.89