Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Lineage, Inc. (LINE) vs Welltower Inc. (WELL) 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 | WELL | 38.0% revenue growth vs LINE's 0.3% |
| Value | LINE | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | WELL | 8.6% net margin vs LINE's -1.9% |
| Stability / Safety | WELL | Beta 0.29 vs LINE's 0.92, lower leverage |
| Dividends | LINE | 5.8% yield; 2-year raise streak; WELL pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WELL | +36.8% vs LINE's -29.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WELL | 1.4% ROA vs LINE's -0.5%, ROIC 0.9% vs 1.4% |
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
Lineage is a temperature-controlled industrial real estate company that operates a global network of cold storage warehouses. It generates revenue primarily through warehouse leasing fees — with its Global Warehousing segment contributing the majority — supplemented by specialized cold-chain logistics services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its massive scale as the world's largest temperature-controlled warehouse operator, creating network effects and operational efficiencies across its global footprint.
Welltower is a healthcare-focused real estate investment trust that owns and invests in seniors housing communities, post-acute care facilities, and outpatient medical properties. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from its healthcare real estate portfolio — with seniors housing contributing roughly 60% of net operating income, outpatient medical properties about 25%, and post-acute care facilities the remainder. The company's competitive advantage lies in its scale and strategic partnerships with leading healthcare operators, creating a diversified portfolio concentrated in high-growth markets across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
WELL leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). LINE leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
WELL is the larger business by revenue, generating $10.8B annually — 2.0x LINE's $5.4B. WELL is the more profitable business, keeping 8.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LINE's -1.9%. On growth, WELL holds the edge at +46.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $5.4B | $10.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.5B | $2.6B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$100M | $934M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $196M | $2.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +20.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +3.4% | +4.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.9% | +8.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +3.7% | +19.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -0.2% | +46.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +108.5% | -26.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LINE's 9.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than WELL's 54.4x.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $9.2B | $144.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $10.9B | $142.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -94.23x | 149.01x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 73.28x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 9.54x | 54.40x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.72x | 13.31x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.00x | 3.26x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 46.92x | 50.06x |
Profitability & Efficiency
WELL delivers a 2.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $2 in annual profit, vs $-1 for LINE. WELL carries lower financial leverage with a 0.07x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to LINE's 0.20x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), WELL scores 5/9 vs LINE's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -1.1% | +2.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.5% | +1.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.4% | +0.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +1.4% | +0.9% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.20x | 0.07x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.8B | -$2.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $66M | $5.0B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.8B | $2.8B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.94x | 0.81x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WELL five years ago would be worth $32,119 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,390 for LINE. Over the past 12 months, WELL leads with a +36.8% total return vs LINE's -29.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WELL at 42.6% vs LINE's -18.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +14.4% | +11.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -29.2% | +36.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -46.1% | +190.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -46.1% | +221.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -46.1% | +270.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -18.6% | +42.6% |
Risk & Volatility
WELL is the less volatile stock with a 0.29 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LINE's 0.92 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. WELL currently trades 96.1% from its 52-week high vs LINE's 65.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.92x | 0.29x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $62.30 | $215.56 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $32.46 | $130.29 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +65.0% | +96.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 63.4 | 69.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 2.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates LINE as "Hold" and WELL as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 6.9% upside for WELL (target: $221) vs -1.9% for LINE (target: $40). LINE is the only dividend payer here at 5.81% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | LINELineage, Inc. | WELLWelltower Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $39.73 | $221.45 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 16 | 34 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +5.8% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.36 | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
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Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jul 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage, Inc. (LINE) | 100 | 43.64 | -56.4% |
| Welltower Inc. (WELL) | 100 | 166.77 | +66.8% |
Welltower Inc. (WELL) returned +221% over 5 years vs Lineage, Inc. (LINE)'s -46%. A $10,000 investment in WELL 5 years ago would be worth $32,119 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage, Inc. (LINE) | $918M | $5.4B | +483.5% |
| Welltower Inc. (WELL) | $4.3B | $10.8B | +154.9% |
Lineage, Inc.'s revenue grew from $918M (2016) to $5.4B (2025) — a 21.7% CAGR. Welltower Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.3B (2016) to $10.8B (2025) — a 11.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage, Inc. (LINE) | -2.4% | -1.9% | +21.1% |
| Welltower Inc. (WELL) | 25.4% | 8.6% | -65.9% |
Lineage, Inc.'s net margin went from -2% (2016) to -2% (2025). Welltower Inc.'s net margin went from 25% (2016) to 9% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welltower Inc. (WELL) | 50.6 | 133.5 | +163.8% |
Welltower Inc. has traded in a 27x–219x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~149x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineage, Inc. (LINE) | -6.16 | -0.43 | +93.0% |
| Welltower Inc. (WELL) | 2.81 | 1.39 | -50.5% |
Lineage, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-6.16 (2016) to $-0.43 (2025). Welltower Inc.'s EPS grew from $2.81 (2016) to $1.39 (2025) — a -8% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Lineage, Inc. generated $196M FCF in 2025 (+155% vs 2021). Welltower Inc. generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+129% vs 2021).
LINE vs WELL: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LINE or WELL a better buy right now?
Welltower Inc. (WELL) offers the better valuation at 149.0x trailing P/E (73.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Welltower Inc. (WELL) a "Buy" — based on 34 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 is the better long-term investment — LINE or WELL?
Over the past 5 years, Welltower Inc. (WELL) delivered a total return of +221.2%, compared to -46.1% for Lineage, Inc. (LINE). A $10,000 investment in WELL five years ago would be worth approximately $32K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WELL returned +270.5% versus LINE's -46.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — LINE or WELL?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Welltower Inc. (WELL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.29β versus Lineage, Inc.'s 0.92β — meaning LINE is approximately 218% more volatile than WELL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Welltower Inc. (WELL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 20% for Lineage, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — LINE or WELL?
Welltower Inc. (WELL) is the more profitable company, earning 8.6% net margin versus -1.9% for Lineage, Inc. — meaning it keeps 8.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: WELL leads at 4.9% versus 4.7% for LINE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WELL leads at 20.9%, 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.
05Is LINE or WELL more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for WELL: 6.9% to $221.45.
06Which pays a better dividend — LINE or WELL?
In this comparison, LINE (5.8% yield) pays a dividend. WELL does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is LINE or WELL better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Welltower Inc. (WELL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.29), +270.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WELL: +270.5%, LINE: -46.1%), 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.
08What are the main differences between LINE and WELL?
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. In terms of investment character: LINE is a small-cap income-oriented stock; WELL is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. LINE pays a dividend while WELL 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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