O vs GTY

For growth investors, Realty Income Corporation (O) is the stronger pick with 9.

1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 9. 0% for Getty Realty Corp. (GTY). Getty Realty Corp. (GTY) offers the better valuation at 24. 5x trailing P/E (22. 0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Getty Realty Corp. (GTY) a "Buy" — based on 13 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.

On trailing P/E, Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) is the cheapest at 24. 5x versus Realty Income Corporation at 54. 7x. On forward P/E, Getty Realty Corp. is actually cheaper at 22. 0x.

Over the past 5 years, Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) delivered a total return of +33. 9%, compared to +21. 3% for Realty Income Corporation (O). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GTY returned +136. 6% versus O's +49. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 05β versus Realty Income Corporation's 0. 09β — meaning O is approximately 74% more volatile than GTY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Realty Income Corporation (O) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 82% versus 98% for Getty Realty Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Realty Income Corporation (O) is pulling ahead at 9.

1% versus 9. 0% for Getty Realty Corp. (GTY). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Realty Income Corporation grew EPS 19. 4% year-over-year, compared to 8. 0% for Getty Realty Corp.. Over a 3-year CAGR, O leads at 19. 8% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) is the more profitable company, earning 35. 7% net margin versus 18. 4% for Realty Income Corporation — meaning it keeps 35. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GTY leads at 54. 9% versus 28. 3% for O. 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.

On forward earnings alone, Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) trades at 22. 0x forward P/E versus 38. 5x for Realty Income Corporation — 16. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for GTY: 2. 8% to $34. 00.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Getty Realty Corp. (GTY) offers the highest yield at 5. 8%, versus 5. 0% for Realty Income Corporation (O).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Getty Realty Corp.

(GTY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 05), 5. 8% yield, +136. 6% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GTY: +136. 6%, O: +49. 7%), 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.

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.