CUBE vs. SUI: CubeSmart vs. Sun Communities Stock Comparison
How do CubeSmart (CUBE) and Sun Communities (SUI) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
CubeSmart (CUBE) and Sun Communities (SUI) both fall under the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group, but CUBE is classified in Specialized REITs while SUI is classified in Residential REITs.
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) and Sun Communities (SUI) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.
| Profile Item | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Name | CubeSmart | Sun Communities, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Real Estate | Real Estate |
| GICS Industry Group | Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) | Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) |
| GICS Industry | Specialized REITs | Residential REITs |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Self-Storage REITs | Single-Family Residential REITs |
| Market Capitalization | 10.10 billion USD | 14.93 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 22, 2004 | December 9, 1993 |
| Security Type | REIT | REIT |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 28.16% | -1.28% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.98% | 6.25% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.18% | -5.75% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 22.12% | 21.19% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.95 | 0.72 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -36.93% | -48.72% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.33M | 1.48M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.08 | -0.26 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.71 | -0.38 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
CubeSmart (CUBE) at 12.78% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Sun Communities (SUI) at 4.89% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for CUBE.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
12.78%
- Max
- 22.74%
- CUBE
- 12.78%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.89%
- Max
- 22.74%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- Median
- 6.38%
- SUI
- 4.89%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
Net Margin (TTM)
Neither CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Sun Communities (SUI) 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.
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Sun Communities (SUI) 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
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.78% | 4.89% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.42% | 2.74% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 5.33% and Sun Communities (SUI) at 0.77% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Sun Communities (SUI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.33% | 0.77% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.61% | -8.37% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Sun Communities (SUI) at 3.07 carries current ratio above its industry’s typical mid-range, while CubeSmart (CUBE) at 0.17 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — different working-capital profiles, both worth examining.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
0.17
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.11
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- CUBE
- 0.17
- Min
- 0.06
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
3.07
- Max
- 4.19
- SUI
- 3.07
- Q3
- 2.11
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Sun Communities (SUI) at 0.72 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while CubeSmart (CUBE) at 1.42 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
1.42
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- CUBE
- 1.42
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
0.72
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- SUI
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.17 | 3.07 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.42 | 0.72 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.06 | 3.02 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 4.67% and Sun Communities (SUI) at 3.60% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.67%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- CUBE
- 4.67%
- Median
- 4.34%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
3.60%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- Median
- 4.34%
- SUI
- 3.60%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
An earnings-based payout ratio fits neither CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Sun Communities (SUI) 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
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 4.67% | 3.60% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Sun Communities (SUI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): depreciation suppresses reported earnings in their businesses, and price-to-FFO is the conventional yardstick instead.
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Sun Communities (SUI) at 6.39 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while CubeSmart (CUBE) at 8.80 sits in the pricier quartile — CUBE costs more per dollar of sales.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
8.80
- Max
- 14.47
- CUBE
- 8.80
- Q3
- 8.02
- Median
- 5.98
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 0.43
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
6.39
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 8.02
- SUI
- 6.39
- Median
- 5.98
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 0.43
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 4.06 and Sun Communities (SUI) at 2.76 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
CUBE
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.06
- CUBE
- 4.06
- Max
- 4.06
- Q3
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
SUI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
2.76
- Max
- 4.06
- SUI
- 2.76
- Q3
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | SUI |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.80 | 6.39 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.06 | 2.76 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |