CUBE vs. WPC: CubeSmart vs. W. P. Carey Stock Comparison
How do CubeSmart (CUBE) and W. P. Carey (WPC) 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 W. P. Carey (WPC) both fall under the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group, but CUBE is classified in Specialized REITs while WPC is classified in Diversified REITs.
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) and W. P. Carey (WPC) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.
| Profile Item | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | CubeSmart | W. P. Carey 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 | Diversified REITs |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Self-Storage REITs | Diversified REITs |
| Market Capitalization | 10.10 billion USD | 14.97 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | October 22, 2004 | January 21, 1998 |
| Security Type | REIT | REIT |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 28.16% | 3.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 12.98% | 13.11% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 1.18% | 3.23% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 22.12% | 17.83% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.95 | 0.74 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -36.93% | -36.81% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 2.33M | 1.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 1.08 | -0.03 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 1.71 | -0.05 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
CubeSmart (CUBE) at 12.78% sits in the top ROE quartile, while W. P. Carey (WPC) at 7.76% 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%
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
7.76%
- Max
- 22.74%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- WPC
- 7.76%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
Net Margin (TTM)
Neither CubeSmart (CUBE) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor W. P. Carey (WPC) 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 W. P. Carey (WPC) 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 | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 12.78% | 7.76% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.42% | 3.54% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 5.33% and W. P. Carey (WPC) at 8.43% 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 W. P. Carey (WPC) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 5.33% | 8.43% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 3.61% | 5.09% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
W. P. Carey (WPC) at 1.64 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while CubeSmart (CUBE) at 0.17 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for CUBE.
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
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
1.64
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.11
- WPC
- 1.64
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.06
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 1.42 and W. P. Carey (WPC) at 1.00 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.
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
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
1.00
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- WPC
- 1.00
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.17 | 1.64 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | 1.42 | 1.00 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.06 | 5.52 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 4.67% and W. P. Carey (WPC) at 5.73% 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%
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
5.73%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- WPC
- 5.73%
- Median
- 4.34%
- 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 W. P. Carey (WPC) 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 | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 4.67% | 5.73% |
| 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 W. P. Carey (WPC) 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)
Both CubeSmart (CUBE) at 8.80 and W. P. Carey (WPC) at 8.06 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.
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
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
8.06
- Max
- 14.47
- WPC
- 8.06
- Q3
- 8.02
- Median
- 5.98
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 0.43
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
W. P. Carey (WPC) at 1.71 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while CubeSmart (CUBE) at 4.06 carries an above-peer premium to book — CUBE is pricier on assets.
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
WPC
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
1.71
- Max
- 4.06
- Q3
- 2.53
- WPC
- 1.71
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CUBE | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 8.80 | 8.06 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.06 | 1.71 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |