Leverage has been persistently high, with debt-to-equity oscillating around 1.7 to 1.9 and total debt above $4B for most of the window against equity of roughly $2.4B, indicating a capital structure reliant on term debt and making refinancing timing a key sensitivity.
Safehold Inc. (SAFE) balance sheet — 30-year assets, liabilities & shareholders' equity history
| Metric | TTM | Dec'25 | Dec'24 | Dec'23 | Dec'22 | Dec'21 | Dec'20 | Dec'19 | Dec'18 | Dec'17 | Dec'16 | Dec'15 | Dec'14 | Dec'13 | Dec'12 | Dec'11 | Dec'10 | Dec'09 | Dec'08 | Dec'07 | Dec'06 | Dec'05 | Dec'04 | Dec'03 | Dec'02 | Dec'01 | Dec'00 | Dec'99 | Dec'98 | Dec'97 | Dec'96 |
|---|
| Total Assets | 7.7B | 7.25B | 6.9B | 6.55B | 5.85B | 4.52B | 3.21B | 2.57B | 979.74M | 728.51M | 155.67M | 144.26M | 5.45B | 5.64B | 6.15B | 7.52B | 9.17B | 12.81B | 15.3B | 15.85B | 11.06B | 8.53B | 7.22B | 6.66B | 5.61B | 4.38B | 4.03B | 3.81B | 2.06B | 13.4M | 5.7M |
| Asset Growth % | 25.73% | 5.07% | 5.36% | 11.92% | 29.57% | 40.72% | 25.03% | 161.96% | 34.49% | 367.99% | 7.91% | -97.35% | -3.45% | -8.27% | -18.18% | -18.06% | -28.38% | -16.25% | -3.48% | 43.29% | 29.63% | 18.17% | 8.4% | 18.69% | 28.16% | 8.52% | 5.8% | 85.16% | 15270.15% | 135.09% | 159.09% |
| Real Estate & Other Assets | 35.65M | 74.06M | 769.16M | 756.14M | 743.52M | 723.86M | 1.97M | 678.2M | 2.42M | 450K | 5.84M | 54.86M | 57.12M | 62.52M | 2.89B | -2.93B | -1.78B | -2.89B | -3.05B | -3.35B | -3.11B | -9.2M | 0 | -24.8M | -28.5M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PP&E (Net) | 33.29M | 0 | 30.35M | 34.94M | 26.31M | 27.43M | 28.55M | 29.66M | 602.07M | 860.31M | 945.57M | 1.01B | 5.41M | 6.56M | 7.54M | 2.93B | 1.78B | 2.89B | 3.04B | 3.31B | 3.08B | 0 | 0 | 24.8M | 28.5M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investment Securities | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Current Assets | 2.69B | 2.43B | 2.18B | 1.97B | 1.58B | 954.16M | 2.07B | 503.75M | 49.36M | 176.82M | 11.9M | 6.7M | 2.27B | 2.4B | 2.86B | 373.7M | 529.27M | 279.41M | 583.69M | 348.05M | 258.4M | 224.41M | 176.15M | 157.61M | 79.48M | 63.55M | 42.92M | 51.8M | 23.2M | 400K | 5.6M |
| Cash & Equivalents | 40.83M | 21.7M | 8.35M | 18.76M | 20.07M | 29.62M | 56.95M | 22.7M | 16.42M | 168.21M | 328.74M | 22K | 472.06M | 513.57M | 256.34M | 356.83M | 504.87M | 224.63M | 496.54M | 104.51M | 105.95M | 115.37M | 88.42M | 80.09M | 15.93M | 15.67M | 22.75M | 34.4M | 10.1M | 300K | 1.9M |
| Receivables | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 100K | 1000K |
| Other Current Assets | 0 | 0 | 8.77M | 30.07M | 28.32M | 8.9M | 34.31M | 24.08M | 9.81M | 4.51M | 0 | 0 | 19.28M | 48.77M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Intangible Assets | 201.36M | 204.02M | 208.73M | 211.11M | 217.79M | 224.18M | 242.17M | 242.84M | 262.53M | 138.72M | 135K | 150K | 50.09M | 100.65M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Liabilities | 5.04B | 4.81B | 4.53B | 4.25B | 3.69B | 2.83B | 1.83B | 1.47B | 622.38M | 372.58M | 1.58M | 227K | 4.21B | 4.34B | 4.84B | 5.94B | 7.48B | 10.89B | 12.52B | 12.89B | 8.03B | 5.86B | 4.61B | 4.11B | 3.46B | 2.5B | 2.13B | 1.9B | 1.06B | 0 | 0 |
| Total Debt | 4.88B | 4.49B | 4.23B | 3.97B | 3.53B | 2.7B | 1.69B | 1.38B | 543.97M | 307.07M | 3.55B | 4.3B | 4.02B | 4.16B | 4.69B | 5.84B | 7.35B | 10.89B | 12.52B | 12.4B | 7.83B | 5.86B | 4.61B | 4.11B | 3.46B | 2.5B | 2.13B | 1.9B | 1.06B | 0 | 0 |
| Net Debt | 4.84B | 4.47B | 4.22B | 3.95B | 3.51B | 2.67B | 1.63B | 1.36B | 527.55M | 138.86M | 3.22B | 4.3B | 3.55B | 3.64B | 4.44B | 5.48B | 6.84B | 10.67B | 12.02B | 12.3B | 7.73B | 5.74B | 4.52B | 4.03B | 3.45B | 2.48B | 2.11B | 1.87B | 1.05B | -300K | -1.9M |
| Long-Term Debt | 4.8B | 4.49B | 4.22B | 3.95B | 3.52B | 2.7B | 1.68B | 1.37B | 543.97M | 307.98M | 3.55B | 0 | 4.02B | 4.16B | 4.69B | 4.24B | 4.71B | 10.89B | 12.52B | 10.4B | 7.4B | 5.86B | 4.42B | 4.11B | 3.46B | 2.5B | 2.13B | 1.9B | 1.06B | 0 | 0 |
| Short-Term Borrowings | 732K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.55B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 545.25M | 1.6B | 2.64B | 0 | 0 | 2B | 430.18M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Capital Lease Obligations | 87.48M | 5.62M | 10.37M | 15.75M | 5.47M | 5.61M | 5.73M | 5.85M | 0 | 0 | 8.85M | 10.48M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Current Liabilities | 732K | 136.3M | 117.51M | 101.14M | 80.35M | 48.89M | 31.49M | 19.11M | 8.92M | 6.02M | 1.58M | 227K | 180.9M | 170.83M | 132.46M | 39.2M | 5.97B | 0 | 0 | 103.08M | 84.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Accounts Payable | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23.14M | 1.35M | 779K | 227K | 180.9M | 170.83M | 0 | 30.12M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 103.08M | 84.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Revenue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27M | 0 | -376.82M | -3.58B | -3.55B | 0 | 0 | 0 | -548.69M | 9.08M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Liabilities | 165.4M | 181.58M | 180.03M | 181.38M | 79.13M | 78.53M | 105.72M | 75.38M | 67.71M | 58.58M | -3.56B | -10.48M | 11.2M | 11.59M | 2.39M | -4.24B | -3.33B | 0 | -12.52B | -10.4B | 430.18M | -5.86B | -4.42B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Equity | 2.65B | 2.44B | 2.37B | 2.3B | 2.16B | 1.69B | 1.38B | 1.09B | 357.36M | 390.48M | 197.21M | 186.25M | 1.23B | 1.3B | 1.31B | 1.57B | 1.69B | 1.66B | 2.43B | 2.95B | 3.03B | 2.48B | 2.47B | 2.42B | 2.03B | 1.79B | 1.79B | 1.8B | 970.7M | 11.6M | 5.5M |
| Equity Growth % | 25.27% | 2.77% | 3.41% | 6.05% | 28.45% | 22% | 26.34% | 205.94% | -8.48% | 98% | 5.89% | -84.89% | -5.28% | -0.89% | -16.55% | -7.14% | 2.33% | -31.74% | -17.85% | -2.39% | 21.99% | 0.23% | 2.24% | 19.35% | 13.26% | -0.21% | -0.54% | 85.83% | 8268.1% | 110.91% | 150% |
| Shareholders Equity | 2.46B | 2.41B | 2.34B | 2.23B | 2.14B | 1.68B | 1.38B | 1.09B | 355.35M | 355.94M | 154.09M | 144.03M | 1.18B | 1.24B | 1.24B | 1.53B | 1.65B | 1.61B | 2.39B | 2.9B | 2.99B | 2.45B | 2.46B | 2.42B | 2.03B | 1.79B | 1.79B | 1.8B | 970.7M | 6.4M | 1.6M |
| Minority Interest | 197.48M | 31.57M | 30.01M | 64.42M | 23.07M | 2.92M | 2.18M | 1.49M | 2.01M | 34.55M | 43.12M | 42.22M | 51.26M | 58.2M | 74.21M | 45.25M | 46.52M | 50.43M | 36.85M | 53.95M | 38.74M | 33.51M | 19.25M | 5.11M | 2.58M | 2.65M | 6.22M | 2.6M | 0 | 5.2M | 3.9M |
| Common Stock | 707K | 717K | 714K | 711K | 624K | 566K | 532K | 478K | 183K | 182K | 72K | 81K | 146K | 144K | 143K | 140K | 138K | 138K | 137K | 135K | 127K | 113K | 111K | 107K | 98K | 87K | 17.03M | 17.9M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Additional Paid-in Capital | 2.18B | 2.2B | 2.19B | 2.18B | 1.99B | 1.66B | 1.41B | 1.13B | 370.53M | 364.92M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.83B | 3.83B | 3.81B | 3.79B | 3.73B | 3.7B | 2.92B | 2.34B | 2.3B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Retained Earnings | 215.52M | 165.74M | 102.47M | 47.58M | 151.23M | 59.37M | 23.95M | -2.15M | -8.49M | -9.25M | -2.58B | -2.63B | -2.56B | -2.52B | -2.36B | -2.08B | -2.01B | -2.05B | -1.23B | -752.44M | -479.69M | -442.76M | -349.1M | -242.45M | -227.77M | -174.87M | -154.79M | -130M | -2.5M | -43.3M | -43.4M |
| Preferred Stock | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16K | 16K | 26K | 26K | 26K | 26K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 22K | 20K | 11K | 11K | 11K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Return on Assets (ROA) | 1.55% | 1.62% | 1.57% | -0.89% | 2.61% | 1.89% | 2.05% | 1.56% | 1.37% | 39.74% | 4.41% | 0.19% | 0.02% | -1.9% | -3.51% | -0.26% | 0.72% | -5.47% | -1.26% | 1.78% | 3.83% | 3.66% | 3.75% | 4.76% | 4.07% | 5.47% | 5.54% | 1.32% | 5.78% | - | -15.19% |
| Return on Equity (ROE) | 4.54% | 4.76% | 4.53% | -2.46% | 7.04% | 4.77% | 4.79% | 3.82% | 3.14% | 59.79% | 3.45% | 0.75% | 0.07% | -8.56% | -16.62% | -1.35% | 4.76% | -37.66% | -7.32% | 7.99% | 13.62% | 11.62% | 10.64% | 13.14% | 10.64% | 12.83% | 12.09% | 2.8% | 12.2% | - | -15.58% |
| Debt / Assets | 63.37% | 61.96% | 61.28% | 60.63% | 60.28% | 59.86% | 52.68% | 53.72% | 55.52% | 42.15% | 2280.01% | 2978.05% | 73.84% | 73.7% | 76.27% | 77.65% | 80.06% | 85.05% | 81.82% | 78.24% | 70.83% | 68.68% | 63.79% | 61.76% | 61.69% | 56.99% | 52.84% | 49.85% | 51.26% | - | - |
| Debt / Equity | 1.84x | 1.84x | 1.78x | 1.73x | 1.63x | 1.60x | 1.22x | 1.26x | 1.52x | 0.79x | 18.00x | 23.07x | 3.26x | 3.19x | 3.57x | 3.71x | 4.33x | 6.58x | 5.16x | 4.20x | 2.59x | 2.36x | 1.86x | 1.70x | 1.71x | 1.39x | 1.19x | 1.05x | 1.09x | - | - |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 17.51x | 14.04x | 42.48x | - | 23.77x | 34.52x | 23.93x | 28.23x | 22.36x | 2.46x | 174.90x | 467.51x | 103.74x | - | - | 19.43x | 60.05x | - | 28.06x | 93.88x | 18.91x | 17.57x | 15.07x | 12.58x | 14.27x | 10.13x | 8.86x | 63.71x | 21.00x | -0.16x | - |
| Book Value per Share | 37.39 | 33.99 | 33.23 | 34.42 | 34.41 | 30.01 | 26.58 | 84.71 | 19.62 | 34.36 | 10.84 | 10.24 | 90.61 | 95.71 | 98.01 | 110.89 | 113.59 | 103.43 | 115.62 | 144.45 | 162.71 | 136.33 | 137.52 | 145.31 | 136.80 | 126.97 | 130.33 | 186.66 | 136.35 | 38.48 | 53.96 |
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying SAFE stock.
As of 2025, Safehold Inc. (SAFE) had total assets of $7.25B including $2.43B in current assets.
Safehold Inc. (SAFE) carries total debt of $4.49B. Comparing total debt to cash helps evaluate the company's debt burden and net leverage.
Safehold Inc. (SAFE) has total shareholders' equity (book value) of $2.41B ($33.99 book value per share). Book value represents the net worth of the company belonging to common stock holders.
Safehold Inc. (SAFE) reported a current ratio of 17.86x. A current ratio above 1.0x indicates that the company has more current assets than current liabilities, suggesting sufficient short-term liquidity.
Key Metrics
Top Statement Risk
Leverage and refinancing sensitivity
Metrics are mathematically derived from official filings.
Debt-Funded Asset Growth Stalls
According to recent SEC filings, SAFE's total assets expanded from $6.8B to $7.7B over the ten-quarter window, yet equity barely moved from $2.3B to $2.5B, pointing to growth funded primarily by liabilities rather than retained capital. Investors should monitor whether this pattern persists as rates remain elevated. The trajectory suggests the balance sheet is strengthening in absolute scale while its capital composition is becoming more leveraged, not less. Asset growth appears tied to ground lease originations financed largely through debt, which may limit the margin for error if refinancing costs rise faster than lease yields.
Total liabilities rose from roughly $4.4B to $5.0B while equity grew only modestly, which suggests the expansion has been debt-intensive. The sharp rise in total debt to $4.7B in 2026Q2 following the near-zero debt reading in 2026Q3 warrants further investigation, as it may reflect a reporting or classification change rather than a true deleveraging event. Based on reported figures, the balance sheet appears to be growing in scale but not in equity cushion.
Debt-to-Equity Readings Demand Scrutiny
Based on SAFE's reported figures, debt-to-equity has oscillated between roughly 1.7 and 1.9 across most of the window before collapsing to 0.03 in 2026Q3, a discontinuity that the underlying data does not clearly explain. Analysts should treat the latest reading with caution. The historical range suggests the company operates with substantial structural leverage, consistent with a long-duration ground lease model funded by term debt. Interest rate exposure and refinancing timing appear to be the primary risks rather than near-term solvency.
A stable 1.7 to 1.9 leverage band over most of the period implies a deliberate, sustained use of debt to finance a long-duration asset base. The 2026Q3 reading of 0.03 is inconsistent with the surrounding quarters and may reflect a data anomaly, a debt reclassification, or an unreported change in capital structure that cannot be confirmed from the supplied data. Investors should monitor subsequent filings to determine whether this reflects a genuine shift.
Thin Equity Growth Limits Per-Share Accretion
As reported in financial statements, SAFE's equity expanded only from about $2.3B to $2.5B over the window while return on equity held near 1.1% to 1.3%, indicating that retained earnings and capital raises have not generated meaningful per-share value creation. The equity base appears to be growing slowly relative to total asset expansion. FFO per share held within a narrow $0.41 to $0.46 range, which is consistent with dilution-neutral growth rather than accretive expansion.
An ROE near 1.2% is thin for a REIT and suggests that the equity base is either being diluted by issuance or that earnings retention is minimal. Flat FFO per share alongside rising equity implies that new capital is not yet producing proportionate per-share earnings. The data does not show whether share issuance occurred during the window, so any dilution conclusion remains an inference that warrants confirmation from share count disclosures.
Cash Buffer Thin Against Debt Load
Based on reported quarterly figures, SAFE's cash balance has ranged from roughly $15M to $24M against total debt exceeding $4B for most of the window, a ratio that appears thin for a company carrying this level of leverage. Liquidity headroom depends heavily on access to refinancing and credit facilities, which the supplied data does not fully disclose.
Cash covering well under one percent of total debt suggests the company relies on external funding channels to meet obligations rather than internal reserves. The data does not disclose revolver capacity, covenant headroom, or fixed charge coverage, so liquidity adequacy cannot be fully assessed from these figures. Investors should monitor any disclosures on undrawn facilities and maturity schedules before drawing firm conclusions.
Reported Balance Sheet May Understate Economic Value
Under standard accounting, SAFE's reported equity likely excludes the unrealized reversionary value of building improvements, which may mean the GAAP balance sheet materially understates the economic asset base relative to the reported $7.7B in total assets. Investors should be cautious about treating book equity as a complete measure of value.
Because ground lease reversionary rights are not typically recognized on the balance sheet, the headline book value may not capture the long-dated residual claims that underpin the investment thesis. This creates a gap between accounting equity and economic equity that analysts should acknowledge. Conversely, the same accounting treatment means that any impairment of these reversionary claims would also be absent from reported figures, which warrants further investigation.