The balance sheet remains under pressure with a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.21 and a total debt load of $476.2M, which severely limits the firm's financial flexibility.
| 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 |
|---|
| Total Assets | 594.01M | 601.73M | 653.7M | 668.33M | 684.54M | 465.28M | 489.38M | 484.37M | 508.08M | 457.67M | 489.05M | 309.24M | 200.48M | 125.37M | 52.69M | 14.82M | 14.81M |
| Asset Growth % | -26.62% | -7.95% | -2.19% | -2.37% | 47.12% | -4.92% | 1.04% | -4.67% | 11.01% | -6.42% | 58.14% | 54.25% | 59.91% | 137.95% | 255.4% | 0.12% | - |
| Real Estate & Other Assets | 489.93M | 493.37M | 544.38M | 575.09M | 570.01M | 388.66M | 1.95M | 1.67M | -35.38M | -47.34M | -66.24M | -43.16M | -26.5M | -8.75M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PP&E (Net) | 8.01M | 8.12M | 10.08M | 10.57M | 16.53M | 14.12M | 405.41M | 427.87M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investment Securities | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Current Assets | 65.99M | 68.94M | 75.41M | 52.93M | 69.41M | 51.7M | 64.99M | 30.23M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cash & Equivalents | 23.59M | 23.66M | 42.96M | 18.4M | 28.49M | 22.9M | 7.66M | 5.45M | 18M | 12.29M | 14.52M | 18.07M | 9.97M | 1.16M | 2.05M | 104.01K | 199.64K |
| Receivables | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 1000K | 761.11K | 572.59K | 557.59K |
| Other Current Assets | 26.29M | 29.52M | 17.75M | 21.4M | 27.37M | 19.57M | 48.18M | 17.88M | -28.54M | -24.64M | -31.96M | -21.52M | -11.96M | -2.75M | -2.81M | -676.6K | -757.23K |
| Intangible Assets | 6.41M | 6.91M | 11.81M | 19.06M | 28.59M | 10.8M | 17.03M | 24.6M | 35.38M | 41.85M | 60.76M | 37.67M | 19.5M | 1.59M | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Liabilities | 502.61M | 507.04M | 537.05M | 526.8M | 531.98M | 368.93M | 376.97M | 371.13M | 386.87M | 333.84M | 331.32M | 201.88M | 151.85M | 99.76M | 36.46M | 14.16M | 13.81M |
| Total Debt | 476.2M | 483.75M | 492.74M | 505.72M | 506.48M | 349.72M | 347.47M | 352.83M | 370.24M | 317.74M | 318.65M | 192.35M | 141.45M | 94.56M | 31.84M | 12.14M | 12.35M |
| Net Debt | 452.61M | 460.09M | 460.89M | 487.31M | 477.98M | 326.82M | 339.81M | 347.38M | 352.24M | 305.45M | 304.14M | 174.28M | 131.48M | 93.41M | 29.79M | 12.03M | 12.15M |
| Long-Term Debt | 461.07M | 468.16M | 476.66M | 477.57M | 466.03M | 333.28M | 334.27M | 340.91M | 360.19M | 307.38M | 305.97M | 184.63M | 108.33M | 88.14M | 19.02M | 9.74M | 8.35M |
| Short-Term Borrowings | 0 | 0 | 5.95M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.81M | 17.45M | 0 | 19.51M | 6.42M | 12.83M | 2.39M | 4M |
| Capital Lease Obligations | 66.93M | 15.59M | 21.25M | 28.14M | 40.45M | 16.44M | 13.2M | 11.92M | 10.04M | 9.62M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total Current Liabilities | 22.53M | 23.39M | 28.25M | 34.88M | 42.37M | 17.83M | 24.95M | 11.58M | 16.64M | 16.85M | 12.67M | 9.53M | 38.34M | 8.95M | 13.77M | 4.41M | 5.46M |
| Accounts Payable | 0 | 0 | 17.13M | 17.07M | 18.4M | 11.05M | 11.23M | 9.56M | 12.12M | 10.58M | 7.74M | 7.53M | 5.09M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deferred Revenue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other Liabilities | 10.83M | 7.27M | 16.06M | 4.02M | 7.11M | 4.78M | 4.55M | 6.72M | 0 | 0 | 12.68M | 7.72M | 5.18M | -88.14M | -19.02M | -9.74M | -8.35M |
| Total Equity | 91.4M | 94.69M | 116.65M | 141.53M | 152.55M | 96.35M | 112.41M | 113.23M | 121.21M | 123.83M | 157.72M | 107.37M | 53.12M | 25.61M | 16.23M | 669.33K | 1M |
| Equity Growth % | -52.71% | -18.83% | -17.58% | -7.23% | 58.33% | -14.29% | -0.72% | -6.58% | -2.12% | -21.49% | 46.9% | 102.11% | 107.46% | 57.75% | 2325.2% | -33.09% | - |
| Shareholders Equity | 63.02M | 63.44M | 59.26M | 75.41M | 86.36M | 94.41M | 110.48M | 111.15M | 119.02M | 116.74M | 147.36M | 98.26M | 42.57M | 18.4M | 8.69M | 669.33K | 1M |
| Minority Interest | 28.39M | 31.25M | 57.4M | 66.12M | 66.2M | 1.94M | 1.93M | 2.08M | 2.19M | 7.09M | 10.36M | 9.1M | 10.55M | 7.21M | 7.55M | 0 | 0 |
| Common Stock | 5K | 6K | 3K | 0 | 10K | 97K | 97K | 97K | 95K | 87K | 680.3K | 17.75M | 75.13K | 71.21K | 33.02K | 0 | 0 |
| Additional Paid-in Capital | 314.15M | 311.98M | 276.41M | 258.11M | 235.08M | 234.23M | 234.06M | 233.87M | 233.7M | 226.98M | 223.34M | 220.37M | 31.08M | 28.17M | 14.1M | 2.76M | 2.76M |
| Retained Earnings | -356.14M | -350.88M | -347.03M | -324.85M | -295.62M | -274.11M | -260.87M | -251.58M | -233.18M | -204.93M | -170.38M | -140.31M | -27.66M | -11.3M | -5.44M | -2.59M | -1.76M |
| Preferred Stock | 103.35M | 99.95M | 129.87M | 142.16M | 146.88M | 134.19M | 137.19M | 128.76M | 118.41M | 94.6M | 93.72M | 452.97K | 39.08M | 1.46M | 0 | 505K | 0 |
| Return on Assets (ROA) | 0.96% | 1.4% | -1.45% | -0.69% | -2.17% | -1.98% | 0.05% | -1.62% | -3.42% | -2.87% | -2.98% | -7.86% | -6.48% | -4.11% | -3.44% | -3.74% | -1.74% |
| Return on Equity (ROE) | 6.34% | 8.3% | -7.42% | -3.19% | -10.01% | -9.05% | 0.22% | -6.86% | -13.47% | -9.66% | -8.97% | -24.96% | -26.8% | -17.5% | -13.75% | -66.43% | -25.81% |
| Debt / Assets | 80.17% | 80.39% | 75.38% | 75.67% | 73.99% | 75.16% | 71% | 72.84% | 72.87% | 69.42% | 65.16% | 62.2% | 70.55% | 75.43% | 60.44% | 81.86% | 83.41% |
| Debt / Equity | 5.21x | 5.11x | 4.22x | 3.57x | 3.32x | 3.63x | 3.09x | 3.12x | 3.05x | 2.57x | 2.02x | 1.79x | 2.66x | 3.69x | 1.96x | 18.13x | 12.35x |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 7.79x | 8.41x | 7.33x | 8.42x | 10.83x | 9.52x | 9.64x | 11.24x | 8.54x | 10.61x | 11.86x | 15.01x | - | 58.76x | - | 63.22x | 25.60x |
| Book Value per Share | 252.50 | 2657.32 | 355.53 | 2.63 | 15.58 | - | 11.58 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Capital structure insolvency risk
According to the latest quarterly financial statements, WHLR maintains a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.21, reflecting a highly leveraged capital structure that appears to leave minimal room for operational errors or further asset value impairment within its secondary market retail portfolio.
The persistent debt-to-equity ratio above 5.0 suggests that the company is operating with a thin equity cushion, which may exacerbate volatility during periods of rising interest rates. Investors should monitor whether this leverage level limits the company's ability to secure favorable refinancing terms for its maturing debt obligations.
As reported in recent filings, the company holds $23.6M in cash, a figure that warrants close scrutiny given the ongoing revenue contraction and the substantial debt load of $476.2M that requires consistent servicing in a challenging retail environment.
While the current cash position provides a temporary buffer, the lack of consistent FFO generation suggests that liquidity may be rapidly consumed by mandatory debt service and property-level operating expenses. This reliance on existing cash reserves to bridge operational gaps may indicate a heightened risk of future liquidity constraints.
Based on the provided balance sheet data, equity has declined from $75.4M in 2023Q4 to $63.0M in 2026Q1, a trend that appears to reflect the cumulative impact of negative earnings and potential capital structure adjustments that dilute common shareholder value.
The consistent downward trajectory of the equity base suggests that the company is struggling to retain value, likely due to the interplay between high interest expenses and stagnant property performance. This erosion of equity may limit the company's ability to raise new capital without further diluting existing shareholders.
Financial disclosures indicate that the company's balance sheet is heavily burdened by complex debt obligations, which, as noted in recent reports, may prioritize preferred equity and debt holders over common shareholders, creating a structural barrier to future value creation.
The disconnect between the underlying real estate assets and the reported equity value suggests that the company's primary risk is not just property occupancy, but the sustainability of its capital structure. This warrants further investigation into whether the current debt covenants could trigger restrictive actions that further limit operational flexibility.
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying WHLR stock.
As of 2025, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) had total assets of $601.7M including $68.9M in current assets.
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) carries total debt of $483.7M. Comparing total debt to cash helps evaluate the company's debt burden and net leverage.
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) has total shareholders' equity (book value) of $63.4M ($2657.32 book value per share). Book value represents the net worth of the company belonging to common stock holders.
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. (WHLR) reported a current ratio of 2.95x. A current ratio above 1.0x indicates that the company has more current assets than current liabilities, suggesting sufficient short-term liquidity.