Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) 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 | O | 9.1% revenue growth vs SELF's 2.8% |
| Value | SELF | Lower P/E (26.8x vs 41.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | O | 18.4% net margin vs SELF's 14.1% |
| Stability / Safety | SELF | Beta 0.06 vs O's 0.19 |
| Dividends | SELF | 5.7% yield; 3-year raise streak; O pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | O | +23.6% vs SELF's +3.1% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SELF | 2.8% ROA vs O's 1.5%, ROIC 3.8% vs 2.3% |
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
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.
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 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). SELF leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
O is the larger business by revenue, generating $5.7B annually — 451.5x SELF's $13M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 18.4% (O) to 14.1% (SELF). On growth, O holds the edge at +11.0% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $13M | $5.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $5M | $4.1B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $2M | $1.1B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $5M | $2.8B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +62.2% | +89.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +24.2% | +28.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +14.1% | +18.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +36.1% | +48.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +0.8% | +11.0% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -60.0% | +39.1% |
Valuation Metrics
At 26.8x trailing earnings, SELF trades at a 53% valuation discount to O's 57.3x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SELF's 14.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than O's 15.2x.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $58M | $62.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $67M | $62.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 26.84x | 57.27x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 41.80x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 80.25x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 14.79x | 15.16x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.61x | 10.88x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.20x | 1.51x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 13.60x | 15.66x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SELF delivers a 3.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $4 in annual profit, vs $3 for O. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SELF scores 6/9 vs O's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +3.8% | +2.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +2.8% | +1.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.8% | +2.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.5% | +2.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.34x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $9M | -$435M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $7M | $435M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $16M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 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 $14,035 for O. Over the past 12 months, O leads with a +23.6% total return vs SELF's +3.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors O at 6.3% vs SELF's 1.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | 0.0% | +17.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +3.1% | +23.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +5.7% | +19.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +45.2% | +40.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +100.6% | +67.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +1.9% | +6.3% |
Risk & Volatility
SELF is the less volatile stock with a 0.06 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than O's 0.19 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 SELF's 86.6% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.06x | 0.19x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $5.89 | $67.94 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $4.73 | $50.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +86.6% | +98.6% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 48.3 | 70.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 34K | 5.4M |
Analyst Outlook
SELF is the only dividend payer here at 5.73% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | SELFGlobal Self Stora… | ORealty Income Cor… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $63.38 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 33 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +5.7% | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 3 | 27 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 100 | 120.57 | +20.6% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 100 | 83.35 | -16.6% |
Global Self Storage… (SELF) returned +45% over 5 years vs Realty Income Corpo… (O)'s +40%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | $5M | $13M | +151.8% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 7.7% | 16.9% | +119.6% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 48.3 | 28.1 | -41.8% |
| Realty Income Corpo… (O) | 50.2 | 48.2 | -4.0% |
Global Self Storage, Inc. has traded in a 17x–136x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~27x. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Self Storage… (SELF) | 0.05 | 0.19 | +280.0% |
| 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
Global Self Storage, Inc. generated $4M FCF in 2024 (+25% vs 2021). Realty Income Corporation generated $4B FCF in 2025 (+207% vs 2021).
SELF vs O: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is SELF or O 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 Realty Income Corporation (O) a "Hold" — based on 33 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 — SELF or O?
On trailing P/E, Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the cheapest at 26.8x versus Realty Income Corporation at 57.3x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — SELF or O?
Over the past 5 years, Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) delivered a total return of +45.2%, compared to +40.3% for Realty Income Corporation (O). 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: SELF returned +100.6% 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 — SELF or O?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Global Self Storage, Inc. (SELF) is the lower-risk stock at 0.06β versus Realty Income Corporation's 0.19β — meaning O is approximately 209% more volatile than SELF relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — SELF or O?
Realty Income Corporation (O) is the more profitable company, earning 18.4% net margin versus 16.9% for Global Self Storage, 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 23.1% for SELF. 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.
06Which pays a better dividend — SELF or O?
In this comparison, SELF (5.7% yield) pays a dividend. O does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is SELF or O 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%, 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.
08What are the main differences between SELF 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. In terms of investment character: SELF is a small-cap income-oriented stock; O is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. SELF 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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