Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA) vs Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) 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 | SELF | 2.8% revenue growth vs NSA's -2.3% |
| Value | SELF | Lower P/E (26.8x vs 57.9x) |
| Quality / Margins | SELF | 14.1% net margin vs NSA's 9.8% |
| Stability / Safety | SELF | Beta 0.06 vs NSA's 0.62 |
| Dividends | NSA | 6.5% yield, 2-year raise streak, vs SELF's 5.7% |
| Momentum (1Y) | SELF | +3.1% vs NSA's -3.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SELF | 2.8% ROA vs NSA's 1.5%, ROIC 3.8% vs 6.2% |
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
National Storage Affiliates Trust is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates self-storage facilities across major U.S. metropolitan areas. It generates revenue primarily from rental income on storage units — with additional income from tenant insurance, truck rentals, and retail sales — and distributes most profits to shareholders as dividends. Its competitive advantage lies in its strategic focus on high-growth markets and its partnership model that allows it to acquire and manage properties through local operating partners who retain ownership stakes.
Global Self Storage is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates self-storage facilities across multiple U.S. states. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from storage units—with a mix of residential and commercial customers—and property management fees from its owned and third-party facilities. The company's moat lies in its strategic locations in secondary markets with limited competition and its operational expertise in maximizing occupancy rates and rental yields.
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
NSA leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). SELF leads in 2 (Total Returns, Risk & Volatility). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
NSA is the larger business by revenue, generating $753M annually — 59.1x SELF's $13M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 14.1% (SELF) to 9.8% (NSA).
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $753M | $13M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $468M | $5M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $74M | $2M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $300M | $5M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +46.0% | +62.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +37.0% | +24.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +9.8% | +14.1% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +39.8% | +36.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.6% | +0.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +53.3% | -60.0% |
Valuation Metrics
At 26.8x trailing earnings, SELF trades at a 46% valuation discount to NSA's 50.0x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, NSA's 5.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SELF's 14.8x.
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $2.7B | $58M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.7B | $67M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 50.03x | 26.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 57.87x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 8.74x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 5.77x | 14.79x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.59x | 4.61x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.75x | 1.20x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 9.00x | 13.60x |
Profitability & Efficiency
NSA delivers a 4.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $5 in annual profit, vs $4 for SELF. NSA carries lower financial leverage with a 0.01x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SELF's 0.34x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), NSA scores 7/9 vs SELF's 6/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +4.8% | +3.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.5% | +2.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +6.2% | +3.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +5.7% | +4.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 7 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.01x | 0.34x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$708,000 | $9M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $23M | $7M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $23M | $16M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.72x | 3.29x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SELF five years ago would be worth $14,520 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $11,842 for NSA. Over the past 12 months, SELF leads with a +3.1% total return vs NSA's -3.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SELF at 1.9% vs NSA's -0.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +25.6% | 0.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -3.4% | +3.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -1.2% | +5.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +18.4% | +45.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +183.1% | +100.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -0.4% | +1.9% |
Risk & Volatility
SELF is the less volatile stock with a 0.06 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NSA's 0.62 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.62x | 0.06x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $40.62 | $5.89 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $27.43 | $4.73 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +86.2% | +86.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 61.1 | 48.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.2M | 34K |
Analyst Outlook
For income investors, NSA offers the higher dividend yield at 6.52% vs SELF's 5.73%.
| Metric | NSANational Storage … | SELFGlobal Self Stora… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $32.00 | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 19 | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +6.5% | +5.7% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.28 | $0.29 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Storage Af… (NSA) | 100 | 89.45 | -10.6% |
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 100 | 120.57 | +20.6% |
Global Self Storage… (SELF) returned +45% over 5 years vs National Storage Af… (NSA)'s +18%. A $10,000 investment in SELF 5 years ago would be worth $14,520 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Storage Af… (NSA) | $199M | $753M | +278.3% |
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | $5M | $13M | +151.8% |
National Storage Affiliates Trust's revenue grew from $199M (2016) to $753M (2025) — a 15.9% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Storage Af… (NSA) | 9.0% | 9.8% | +8.6% |
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 7.7% | 16.9% | +119.6% |
National Storage Affiliates Trust's net margin went from 9% (2016) to 10% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Storage Af… (NSA) | 101.8 | 40.3 | -60.4% |
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 48.3 | 28.1 | -41.8% |
National Storage Affiliates Trust has traded in a 28x–102x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~50x. Global Self Storage, Inc. has traded in a 17x–136x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~27x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Storage Af… (NSA) | 0.31 | 0.7 | +125.8% |
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 0.05 | 0.19 | +280.0% |
National Storage Affiliates Trust's EPS grew from $0.31 (2016) to $0.70 (2025) — a 9% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
National Storage Affiliates Trust generated $300M FCF in 2025 (-1% vs 2021). Global Self Storage, Inc. generated $4M FCF in 2024 (+25% vs 2021).
NSA vs SELF: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is NSA or SELF a better buy right now?
Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) offers the better valuation at 26.8x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA) a "Hold" — based on 19 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 — NSA or SELF?
On trailing P/E, Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the cheapest at 26.8x versus National Storage Affiliates Trust at 50.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — NSA or SELF?
Over the past 5 years, Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) delivered a total return of +45.2%, compared to +18.4% for National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA). A $10,000 investment in SELF five years ago would be worth approximately $15K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: NSA returned +183.1% versus SELF's +100.6%. 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 — NSA or SELF?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the lower-risk stock at 0.06β versus National Storage Affiliates Trust's 0.62β — meaning NSA is approximately 915% more volatile than SELF relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 34% for Global Self Storage, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — NSA or SELF?
Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the more profitable company, earning 16.9% net margin versus 9.8% for National Storage Affiliates Trust — meaning it keeps 16.9% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: NSA leads at 37.0% versus 23.1% for SELF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SELF leads at 62.2%, 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.
06Which pays a better dividend — NSA or SELF?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. National Storage Affiliates Trust (NSA) offers the highest yield at 6.5%, versus 5.7% for Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF).
07Is NSA or SELF better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.06), 5.7% yield, +100.6% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SELF: +100.6%, NSA: +183.1%), 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 NSA and SELF?
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. 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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