Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (AHR) vs Realty Income Corporation (O) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AHR | 11.4% revenue growth vs O's 9.1% |
| Value | O | Lower P/E (41.8x vs 75.3x) |
| Quality / Margins | O | 18.4% net margin vs AHR's 1.2% |
| Stability / Safety | O | Beta 0.19 vs AHR's 0.48 |
| Dividends | AHR | 1.8% yield; O pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AHR | +78.7% vs O's +23.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | O | 1.5% ROA vs AHR's 0.6%, ROIC 2.3% vs 2.4% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
American Healthcare REIT is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates a diversified portfolio of healthcare properties including medical office buildings, senior housing facilities, and hospitals. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from its healthcare real estate portfolio — with senior housing and medical office buildings being its largest segments — supplemented by management fees from operating certain facilities. The company's competitive advantage lies in its fully integrated management platform with deep industry expertise and long-term relationships in the healthcare real estate sector.
Realty Income is a real estate investment trust that owns and leases single-tenant commercial properties to retail and service-oriented businesses. It generates revenue primarily through long-term triple-net leases—where tenants pay rent plus property expenses—with retail clients like convenience stores and drugstores accounting for roughly 80% of its portfolio. The company's moat lies in its massive scale, diversified tenant base, and long-term lease structure that provides predictable monthly cash flow supporting its famous monthly dividend payments.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
O leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). AHR leads in 1 (Total Returns).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
O is the larger business by revenue, generating $5.7B annually — 2.6x AHR's $2.2B. O is the more profitable business, keeping 18.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to AHR's 1.2%.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.2B | $5.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $378M | $4.1B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $27M | $1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $269M | $2.8B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +20.7% | +89.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +7.7% | +28.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.2% | +18.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +12.2% | +48.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.4% | +11.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.7% | +39.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, O's 15.2x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than AHR's 29.9x.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $8.9B | $62.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $10.7B | $62.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -180.14x | 57.27x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 75.30x | 41.80x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 80.25x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 29.93x | 15.16x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.31x | 10.88x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.96x | 1.51x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 106.18x | 15.66x |
Profitability & Efficiency
O delivers a 2.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $3 in annual profit, vs $1 for AHR. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AHR scores 7/9 vs O's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +1.0% | +2.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +0.6% | +1.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +2.4% | +2.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.1% | +2.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.81x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.8B | -$435M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $77M | $435M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.9B | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.07x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AHR five years ago would be worth $41,029 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $14,035 for O. Over the past 12 months, AHR leads with a +78.7% total return vs O's +23.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AHR at 60.1% vs O's 6.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +10.6% | +17.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +78.7% | +23.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +310.3% | +19.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +310.3% | +40.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +310.3% | +67.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +60.1% | +6.3% |
Risk & Volatility
O is the less volatile stock with a 0.19 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AHR's 0.48 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. O currently trades 98.6% from its 52-week high vs AHR's 95.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.48x | 0.19x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $54.67 | $67.94 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $26.48 | $50.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +95.6% | +98.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 73.2 | 70.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.3M | 5.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates AHR as "Buy" and O as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply -3.5% upside for AHR (target: $50) vs -5.4% for O (target: $63). AHR is the only dividend payer here at 1.77% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | AHRAmerican Healthca… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $50.43 | $63.38 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 11 | 33 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.8% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 27 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.93 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Healthcare… (AHR) | 100 | 359.91 | +259.9% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 100 | 115.87 | +15.9% |
American Healthcare… (AHR) returned +310% over 5 years vs Realty Income Corpo… (O)'s +40%. A $10,000 investment in AHR 5 years ago would be worth $41,029 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Healthcare… (AHR) | $980M | $2.1B | +111.2% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | $1.1B | $5.7B | +421.2% |
Realty Income Corporation's revenue grew from $1.1B (2016) to $5.7B (2025) — a 20.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Healthcare… (AHR) | -14.9% | -1.8% | +87.7% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 28.6% | 18.4% | -35.6% |
Realty Income Corporation's net margin went from 29% (2016) to 18% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 50.2 | 48.2 | -4.0% |
Realty Income Corporation has traded in a 45x–82x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~57x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Healthcare… (AHR) | -3.01 | -0.29 | +90.4% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 1.13 | 1.17 | +3.5% |
Realty Income Corporation's EPS grew from $1.13 (2016) to $1.17 (2025) — a 0% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
American Healthcare REIT, Inc. generated $84M FCF in 2024 (+236% vs 2021). Realty Income Corporation generated $4B FCF in 2025 (+207% vs 2021).
AHR vs O: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is AHR or O a better buy right now?
Realty Income Corporation (O) offers the better valuation at 57.3x trailing P/E (41.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (AHR) a "Buy" — based on 11 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — AHR or O?
On forward P/E, Realty Income Corporation is actually cheaper at 41.8x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — AHR or O?
Over the past 5 years, American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (AHR) delivered a total return of +310.3%, compared to +40.3% for Realty Income Corporation (O). A $10,000 investment in AHR five years ago would be worth approximately $41K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AHR returned +310.3% versus O's +67.6%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — AHR or O?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Realty Income Corporation (O) is the lower-risk stock at 0.19β versus American Healthcare REIT, Inc.'s 0.48β — meaning AHR is approximately 152% more volatile than O relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — AHR or O?
Realty Income Corporation (O) is the more profitable company, earning 18.4% net margin versus -1.8% for American Healthcare REIT, Inc. — meaning it keeps 18.4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: O leads at 28.3% versus 6.6% for AHR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — O leads at 89.8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is AHR or O more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Realty Income Corporation (O) trades at 41.8x forward P/E versus 75.3x for American Healthcare REIT, Inc. — 33.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AHR: -3.5% to $50.43.
07Which pays a better dividend — AHR or O?
In this comparison, AHR (1.8% yield) pays a dividend. O does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is AHR or O better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, American Healthcare REIT, Inc. (AHR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.48), 1.8% yield, +310.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AHR: +310.3%, O: +67.6%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between AHR and O?
Both stocks operate in the Real Estate sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. AHR pays a dividend while O does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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