Crown Castle Inc. (CCI) vs Realty Income Corporation (O)
A side-by-side comparison of Crown Castle Inc. and Realty Income Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 11, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
Total return — CCI vs O
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10yCCI vs O: by the numbers
- •O is the larger company ($55.48B vs $33.05B market cap).
- •CCI pays the higher dividend yield (5.75% vs 5.44%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CCI | O |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 30.74 | 43.43 |
| Forward P/E | 39.21 | 39.13 |
| P/S ratio | 7.94 | N/A |
| P/B ratio | N/A | 1.40 |
| EV / EBITDA | 20.78 | N/A |
| FCF yield | 7.28% | 3.93% |
For REITs like Crown Castle Inc., GAAP P/E is distorted: heavy non-cash property depreciation depresses reported earnings and overstates the multiple. Real-estate companies are valued on funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) and price-to-FFO — see the Funds From Operations section. The P/E is shown for reference only.
For REITs like Realty Income Corporation, GAAP P/E is distorted: heavy non-cash property depreciation depresses reported earnings and overstates the multiple. Real-estate companies are valued on funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) and price-to-FFO — see the Funds From Operations section. The P/E is shown for reference only.
Profitability
| Metric | CCI | O |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 63.19% | N/A |
| Operating margin | 47.74% | N/A |
| Net margin | 25.83% | N/A |
| ROIC | 9.63% | N/A |
Dividends
| Metric | CCI | O |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 5.75% | 5.44% |
| Payout ratio | 172.76% | 236.57% |
Crown Castle Inc.'s payout ratio is measured against GAAP earnings, which non-cash depreciation depresses for REITs — the dividend is conventionally assessed against funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) instead, so the GAAP figure overstates the payout burden.
Realty Income Corporation's payout ratio is measured against GAAP earnings, which non-cash depreciation depresses for REITs — the dividend is conventionally assessed against funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) instead, so the GAAP figure overstates the payout burden.
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CCI | O |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | -7.20% | N/A |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | -15.45% | 0.35% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 7.90% | 13.20% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | -13.01% | 3.31% |
Frequently asked
- Does CCI or O pay a bigger dividend?
- CCI yields 5.75% and O yields 5.44% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- How have CCI and O total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, CCI delivered 1.87% and O delivered 4.46% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Crown Castle & Realty Income appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 11, 2026.