Critical Contrast: Veris Residential (NYSE:VRE) and First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (OTCMKTS:FREVS)

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (OTCMKTS:FREVS) and Veris Residential (NYSE:VRE) are both real estate companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings and risk.

Profitability

This table compares First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey and Veris Residential’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey	N/A	N/A	N/A
Veris Residential	-21.79%	-8.55%	-3.41%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey and Veris Residential, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey	0	0	0	0	N/A
Veris Residential	1	1	1	0	2.00

Veris Residential has a consensus target price of $15.67, suggesting a potential downside of 8.54%. Given Veris Residential’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Veris Residential is more favorable than First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

93.0% of Veris Residential shares are owned by institutional investors. 12.0% of First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.0% of Veris Residential shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey and Veris Residential”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey	N/A	N/A	N/A	$1.69	10.65
Veris Residential	$287.87 million	5.51	-$107.26 million	($1.00)	-17.13

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Veris Residential. Veris Residential is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey pays an annual dividend of $1.56 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.7%. Veris Residential pays an annual dividend of $0.28 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey pays out 92.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Veris Residential pays out -28.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

About First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey

First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, Inc. is a publicly traded (over-the-counter symbol FREVS) REIT organized in 1961. Its portfolio of residential and commercial properties are located in New Jersey and New York, with the largest concentration in northern New Jersey.

About Veris Residential

Veris Residential, Inc. is a forward-thinking, environmentally and socially conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties that meet the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of today’s residents while seeking to positively impact the communities it serves and the planet at large. The company is guided by an experienced management team and Board of Directors and is underpinned by leading corporate governance principle; a best-in-class and sustainable approach to operations; and an inclusive culture based on equality and meritocratic empowerment.