Sun Communities (NYSE:SUI – Get Free Report) and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust (NASDAQ:WHLR – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and profitability.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
99.6% of Sun Communities shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.3% of Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.9% of Sun Communities shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 40.6% of Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Sun Communities and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Sun Communities | 7.46% | 3.21% | 1.40% |
| Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust | -29.69% | N/A | -4.57% |
Earnings & Valuation
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Sun Communities | $3.22 billion | 4.94 | -$201.00 million | $1.86 | 67.29 |
| Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust | $102.32 million | 0.08 | -$4.69 million | ($194.37) | -0.03 |
Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Sun Communities. Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Sun Communities, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Sun Communities and Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Sun Communities | 1 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2.29 |
| Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Sun Communities currently has a consensus target price of $139.08, indicating a potential upside of 11.12%. Given Sun Communities’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Sun Communities is more favorable than Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust.
Volatility and Risk
Sun Communities has a beta of 0.91, indicating that its share price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust has a beta of 1.58, indicating that its share price is 58% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Sun Communities beats Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Sun Communities
Established in 1975, Sun Communities, Inc. became a publicly owned corporation in December 1993. The Company is a fully integrated REIT listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: SUI. As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned, operated, or had an interest in a portfolio of 667 developed MH, RV and Marina properties comprising 179,310 developed sites and approximately 48,030 wet slips and dry storage spaces in the U.S., the UK and Canada.
About Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust
Headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wheeler Real Estate Investment Trust, Inc. is a fully integrated, self-managed commercial real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning and operating income-producing retail properties with a primary focus on grocery-anchored centers.
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