IRM vs. WPC: Iron Mountain vs. W. P. Carey Stock Comparison
How do Iron Mountain (IRM) 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
Iron Mountain (IRM) and W. P. Carey (WPC) both fall under the Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group, but IRM is classified in Specialized REITs while WPC is classified in Diversified REITs.
Both Iron Mountain (IRM) 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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Iron Mountain Inc. | 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 | Other Specialized REITs | Diversified REITs |
| Market Capitalization | 31.73 billion USD | 14.97 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | February 1, 1996 | January 21, 1998 |
| Security Type | REIT | REIT |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 12.13% | 3.70% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 28.29% | 13.11% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 23.46% | 3.23% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 35.33% | 17.83% |
| Beta (5Y) | 1.19 | 0.74 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -39.03% | -36.81% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 1.52M | 1.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | 0.22 | -0.03 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | 0.31 | -0.05 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Capital efficiency shows on one side only: W. P. Carey (WPC) earns 7.76% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; Iron Mountain (IRM) has no ROE this period.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 22.74%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
- IRM
- --
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 Iron Mountain (IRM) 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 Iron Mountain (IRM) 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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | 7.76% |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.72% | 3.54% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Iron Mountain (IRM) at 12.23% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while W. P. Carey (WPC) at 8.43% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for IRM.
EPS Growth
EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either Iron Mountain (IRM) 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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 12.23% | 8.43% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 10.58% | 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 Iron Mountain (IRM) at 0.56 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for IRM.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
0.56
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.11
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- IRM
- 0.56
- 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)
Only one side’s leverage can be read here: W. P. Carey (WPC) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 1.00 against its industry range, while Iron Mountain (IRM) reports no figure this period.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
- IRM
- --
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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.56 | 1.64 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | 1.00 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 7.69 | 5.52 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Iron Mountain (IRM) at 3.28% and W. P. Carey (WPC) at 5.73% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
3.28%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- Median
- 4.34%
- IRM
- 3.28%
- 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 Iron Mountain (IRM) 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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.28% | 5.73% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either Iron Mountain (IRM) 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)
Iron Mountain (IRM) at 4.07 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while W. P. Carey (WPC) at 8.06 sits in the pricier quartile — WPC costs more per dollar of sales.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.07
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 8.02
- Median
- 5.98
- IRM
- 4.07
- 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)
Iron Mountain (IRM) reports a negative P/B ratio of -22.85, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile W. P. Carey (WPC) reports 1.71, ranking against industry peers normally.
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
-22.85
- Max
- 4.06
- Q3
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
- IRM
- -22.85
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 | IRM | WPC |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 4.07 | 8.06 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -22.85 | 1.71 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |