SAFE vs PINE vs NNN vs ADC

For growth investors, Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) is the stronger pick with 16.

4% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 4% for Safehold Inc. (SAFE). Safehold Inc. (SAFE) offers the better valuation at 9. 7x trailing P/E (9. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Safehold Inc. (SAFE) a "Buy" — based on 17 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, Safehold Inc.

(SAFE) is the cheapest at 9. 7x versus Agree Realty Corporation at 43. 1x. On forward P/E, Safehold Inc. is actually cheaper at 9. 1x. The PEG ratio (P/E divided by earnings growth rate) is the most growth-adjusted single valuation metric: Safehold Inc. wins at 1. 44x versus Agree Realty Corporation's 113. 70x — a reasonable growth-adjusted valuation.

Over the past 5 years, Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc.

(PINE) delivered a total return of +41. 2%, compared to -71. 0% for Safehold Inc. (SAFE). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ADC returned +135. 6% versus SAFE's -50. 3%. 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), Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

14β versus Safehold Inc. 's 0. 96β — meaning SAFE is approximately -792% more volatile than ADC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 53% versus 184% for Safehold Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) is pulling ahead at 16.

4% versus 5. 4% for Safehold Inc. (SAFE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Safehold Inc. grew EPS 7. 4% year-over-year, compared to -257. 1% for Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, ADC leads at 18. 7% 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.

NNN REIT, Inc.

(NNN) is the more profitable company, earning 42. 1% net margin versus -4. 4% for Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. — meaning it keeps 42. 1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SAFE leads at 79. 8% versus 30. 5% for PINE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SAFE leads at 94. 3%, 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.

The PEG ratio (forward P/E divided by expected earnings growth rate) is the most precise measure of undervaluation relative to growth potential.

By this metric, Safehold Inc. (SAFE) is the more undervalued stock at a PEG of 1. 44x versus Agree Realty Corporation's 113. 70x. A PEG below 1. 5 suggests fair-to-attractive pricing relative to expected growth. On forward earnings alone, Safehold Inc. (SAFE) trades at 9. 1x forward P/E versus 59. 3x for Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. — 50. 2x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ADC: 9. 4% to $83. 50.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

NNN REIT, Inc. (NNN) offers the highest yield at 5. 3%, versus 0. 2% for Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc. (PINE).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.

14), 4. 0% yield, +135. 6% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ADC: +135. 6%, SAFE: -50. 3%), 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.

In terms of investment character: SAFE is a small-cap deep-value stock; PINE is a small-cap high-growth stock; NNN is a small-cap income-oriented stock; ADC is a small-cap high-growth stock. SAFE, NNN, ADC pay a dividend while PINE 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.