Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Whitestone REIT (WSR) vs Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX) 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 | BRX | 6.7% revenue growth vs WSR's 3.4% |
| Value | BRX | Lower P/E (29.8x vs 33.5x) |
| Quality / Margins | WSR | 30.9% net margin vs BRX's 28.2% |
| Stability / Safety | WSR | Beta 0.33 vs BRX's 0.66 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WSR | +14.8% vs BRX's +12.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | WSR | 4.6% ROA vs BRX's 4.2%, ROIC 3.7% vs 6.8% |
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
Whitestone REIT is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates community-focused open-air shopping centers in affluent Sunbelt markets. It generates revenue primarily through collecting rent from a diverse mix of national, regional, and local tenants — with retail leases contributing the vast majority of its income. The company's competitive advantage lies in its strategic focus on high-growth, affluent Sunbelt communities and its ability to create local connections between consumers and carefully curated tenant mixes.
Brixmor Property Group is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates a national portfolio of open-air shopping centers across prime retail locations. It generates revenue primarily through collecting rent from retailers — with major tenants including TJX, Kroger, and Walmart — and property management fees. Its competitive advantage lies in owning a high-quality portfolio of 395 shopping centers in established trade areas, creating a network effect that attracts essential retailers serving local communities.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
BRX leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). WSR leads in 1 (Total Returns). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
BRX is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.4B annually — 8.5x WSR's $162M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 30.9% (WSR) to 28.2% (BRX).
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $162M | $1.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $90M | $898M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $50M | $386M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $35M | $480M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +69.0% | +87.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +33.2% | +35.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +30.9% | +28.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +21.7% | +35.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +7.0% | +7.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -3.3% | +63.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, BRX's 9.9x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than WSR's 15.7x.
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $770M | $9.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.4B | $8.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -63.29x | 24.22x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 33.51x | 29.76x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 15.74x | 9.95x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 4.79x | 6.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.70x | 3.10x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 15.17x | 14.21x |
Profitability & Efficiency
BRX delivers a 12.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $11 for WSR. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), BRX scores 6/9 vs WSR's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +10.8% | +12.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +4.6% | +4.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +3.7% | +6.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.8% | +5.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.39x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $639M | -$334M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $5M | $334M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $644M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.59x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in WSR five years ago would be worth $18,587 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $17,938 for BRX. Over the past 12 months, WSR leads with a +14.8% total return vs BRX's +12.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors WSR at 20.7% vs BRX's 14.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +10.0% | +17.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +14.8% | +12.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +75.9% | +48.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +85.9% | +79.4% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +101.1% | +71.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +20.7% | +14.1% |
Risk & Volatility
WSR is the less volatile stock with a 0.33 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than BRX's 0.66 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.33x | 0.66x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $15.50 | $30.68 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $11.43 | $22.29 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +98.0% | +98.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 65.9 | 81.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 159K | 2.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates WSR as "Buy" and BRX as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 5.3% upside for WSR (target: $16) vs 0.9% for BRX (target: $31).
| Metric | WSRWhitestone REIT | BRXBrixmor Property … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $16.00 | $30.54 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 30 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 3 | 4 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.3% | +0.1% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitestone REIT (WSR) | 100 | 115.98 | +16.0% |
| Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX) | 100 | 142.14 | +42.1% |
Whitestone REIT (WSR) returned +86% over 5 years vs Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX)'s +79%. A $10,000 investment in WSR 5 years ago would be worth $18,587 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitestone REIT (WSR) | $104M | $161M | +54.0% |
| Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX) | $1.3B | $1.4B | +7.5% |
Whitestone REIT's revenue grew from $104M (2016) to $161M (2025) — a 4.9% CAGR. Brixmor Property Group Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.3B (2016) to $1.4B (2025) — a 0.8% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitestone REIT (WSR) | 7.6% | 31.0% | +308.7% |
| Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX) | 21.6% | 28.2% | +30.3% |
Whitestone REIT's net margin went from 8% (2016) to 31% (2025). Brixmor Property Group Inc.'s net margin went from 22% (2016) to 28% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitestone REIT (WSR) | 65.5 | 19.7 | -69.9% |
| Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX) | 19 | 21 | +10.5% |
Whitestone REIT has traded in a 14x–66x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~-63x. Brixmor Property Group Inc. has traded in a 12x–102x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~24x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitestone REIT (WSR) | 0.26 | -0.24 | -192.3% |
| Brixmor Property Gr… (BRX) | 0.9 | 1.25 | +38.9% |
Whitestone REIT's EPS grew from $0.26 (2016) to $-0.24 (2025) — a NaN% CAGR. Brixmor Property Group Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.90 (2016) to $1.25 (2025) — a 4% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Whitestone REIT generated $51M FCF in 2025 (+4% vs 2021). Brixmor Property Group Inc. generated $652M FCF in 2025 (+18% vs 2021).
WSR vs BRX: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is WSR or BRX a better buy right now?
Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX) offers the better valuation at 24.2x trailing P/E (29.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Whitestone REIT (WSR) a "Buy" — based on 14 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 — WSR or BRX?
On forward P/E, Brixmor Property Group Inc. is actually cheaper at 29.8x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — WSR or BRX?
Over the past 5 years, Whitestone REIT (WSR) delivered a total return of +85.9%, compared to +79.4% for Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX). A $10,000 investment in WSR five years ago would be worth approximately $19K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: WSR returned +101.1% versus BRX's +71.8%. 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 — WSR or BRX?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Whitestone REIT (WSR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.33β versus Brixmor Property Group Inc.'s 0.66β — meaning BRX is approximately 99% more volatile than WSR relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — WSR or BRX?
Whitestone REIT (WSR) is the more profitable company, earning 31.0% net margin versus 28.2% for Brixmor Property Group Inc. — meaning it keeps 31.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: BRX leads at 35.2% versus 33.3% for WSR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — BRX leads at 87.0%, 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.
06Is WSR or BRX more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Brixmor Property Group Inc. (BRX) trades at 29.8x forward P/E versus 33.5x for Whitestone REIT — 3.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for WSR: 5.3% to $16.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — WSR or BRX?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is WSR or BRX better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Whitestone REIT (WSR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.33), +101.1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (WSR: +101.1%, BRX: +71.8%), 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.
09What are the main differences between WSR and BRX?
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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