Critical Contrast: Getty Realty (NYSE:GTY) vs. Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ)

Getty Realty (NYSE:GTY) and Cousins Properties (NYSE:CUZ) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, earnings and institutional ownership.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Getty Realty and Cousins Properties”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Getty Realty	$221.73 million	9.34	$79.19 million	$1.34	25.84
Cousins Properties	$993.82 million	4.03	$40.50 million	$0.24	100.46

Getty Realty has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Cousins Properties. Getty Realty is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cousins Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

Getty Realty pays an annual dividend of $1.94 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.6%. Cousins Properties pays an annual dividend of $1.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.3%. Getty Realty pays out 144.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Cousins Properties pays out 533.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Getty Realty has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Getty Realty is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Risk and Volatility

Getty Realty has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cousins Properties has a beta of 1.18, indicating that its stock price is 18% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

85.1% of Getty Realty shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.4% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.5% of Getty Realty shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.8% of Cousins Properties shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Getty Realty and Cousins Properties’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Getty Realty	35.72%	7.86%	3.86%
Cousins Properties	4.08%	0.85%	0.46%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Getty Realty and Cousins Properties, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Getty Realty	0	3	3	0	2.50
Cousins Properties	1	2	6	0	2.56

Getty Realty presently has a consensus target price of $32.20, suggesting a potential downside of 6.99%. Cousins Properties has a consensus target price of $28.73, suggesting a potential upside of 19.15%. Given Cousins Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Cousins Properties is more favorable than Getty Realty.

Summary

Getty Realty beats Cousins Properties on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Getty Realty

Getty Realty Corp. is a publicly traded, net lease REIT specializing in the acquisition, financing and development of convenience, automotive and other single tenant retail real estate. As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s portfolio included 1,093 freestanding properties located in 40 states across the United States and Washington, D.C.

About Cousins Properties

Cousins Properties Incorporated ("Cousins") is a fully integrated, self-administered, and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The Company, based in Atlanta and acting through its operating partnership, Cousins Properties LP, primarily invests in Class A office buildings located in high-growth Sun Belt markets. Founded in 1958, Cousins creates shareholder value through its extensive expertise in the development, acquisition, leasing, and management of high-quality real estate assets. The Company has a comprehensive strategy in place based on a simple platform, trophy assets, and opportunistic investments.