CTO vs SPG Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
SPG is the dominant, large-scale leader in premier mall and outlet real estate, while CTO is a much smaller, growth-focused REIT concentrated in open-air shopping centers in southern U.S. growth markets. The comparison highlights vastly different scales within the broader retail REIT sector.
CTO vs SPG contrasts a small-cap, opportunistic open-air shopping center REIT against the largest, most established mall and premium outlet operator in the U.S.
SPG holds the edge across 2 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. SPG has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+34.49% vs +23.74% for CTO). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CTO (+11.65%) than for SPG (-2.05%).
- →Want exposure to smaller-scale, growth-market open-air retail real estate
- →See value in CTO's higher percentage growth potential from a smaller base
- →Are comfortable with higher volatility and lower trading liquidity
- →Want exposure to the highest-quality U.S. malls and premium outlets
- →Value Simon's scale, balance sheet strength, and capital access advantages
- →Prefer a larger, more established, more liquid retail REIT investment
| Metric | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 33.7 | 39.0 |
| AI rank | #1856 | #1209 |
| Latest close | $20.60 | $211.33 |
| 1M return | +1.25% | +5.21% |
| 6M return | +18.51% | +14.72% |
| 1Y return | +23.74% | +34.49% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $13.47K (+34.7%) started 2025-06-18 | $13.45K (+34.5%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $29.92K (+199.2%) started 2021-06-18 | $25.45K (+154.5%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $53.78K (+437.8%) started 2016-06-20 | $28.62K (+186.2%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $695.94M | $83.23B |
| Trailing P/E | 103.00 | 15.22 |
| Forward P/E | N/A | 32.66 |
| Price/Sales | 4.49 | 10.20 |
| EV/Revenue | 8.69 | 15.19 |
| Analyst target | $23.00 | $214.55 |
| Target upside | +11.65% | -2.05% |
| Metric | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 15.00% | 19.30% |
| Earnings growth | 1200.10% | 16.40% |
| EPS growth | +1200.10% | +16.40% |
| FCF margin | -13.82% | +37.52% |
| Operating margin | N/A | 43.38% |
| Profit margin | 9.06% | 70.59% |
| ROIC proxy | 2.40% | 113.59% |
| Return on equity | 2.40% | 113.59% |
| Dividend yield | 7.27% | 4.02% |
| Beta | 0.65 | 1.35 |
| Debt/equity | 113.24 | 457.47 |
| Current ratio | 4.69 | 0.20 |
| Quick ratio | 1.25 | 0.20 |
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +23.74% | +34.52% |
| CAGR | +23.76% | +34.58% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.95 | 1.44 | |
| Max drawdown | 14.75% | 12.55% | |
| Max daily drop | 6.78% | 3.55% | |
| Max wkly drop | 7.20% | 6.70% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +78.05% | +99.76% |
| CAGR | +12.23% | +14.87% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.43 | 0.49 | |
| Max drawdown | 25.47% | 45.84% | |
| Max daily drop | 10.78% | 10.11% | |
| Max wkly drop | 12.91% | 15.68% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +172.59% | +61.14% |
| CAGR | +10.56% | +4.89% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.34 | 0.19 | |
| Max drawdown | 47.85% | 77.00% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.34% | 26.71% | |
| Max wkly drop | 29.13% | 55.74% |
| Category | CTO | SPG |
|---|---|---|
| Company | CTO Realty Growth, Inc. | Simon Property Group, Inc. |
| Sector | Real Estate - Retail REIT | Real Estate |
| Industry | N/A | REIT - Retail |
| Core business | CTO Realty Growth is a small-cap REIT that owns and operates open-air shopping centers and other retail and mixed-use properties across the southeastern and southwestern United States. | Simon Property Group is the largest U.S. mall REIT, owning and operating premier shopping malls, premium outlets, and mixed-use properties, focused on high-quality, well-located retail real estate. |
| Investor focus | Investors track CTO's acquisition pace and cap rates, occupancy and leasing spreads at its shopping centers, and its dividend coverage given its smaller, externally-focused growth strategy. | Investors track Simon's occupancy rates, releasing spreads (rent growth on new leases versus expiring ones), and tenant sales productivity across its mall and outlet portfolio. |
- →Focused, opportunistic acquisition strategy targeting open-air retail centers in growth markets
- →Smaller scale provides more room for percentage-based portfolio growth
- →Attractive dividend yield reflecting its small-cap retail REIT positioning
- →Dominant ownership of the highest-quality, most productive U.S. malls and outlets
- →Strong balance sheet and access to capital relative to mall REIT peers
- →Diversification into mixed-use development adds growth beyond traditional retail
- →Much smaller scale than larger retail REIT peers limits diversification and capital cost advantages
- →Open-air shopping center sector faces ongoing competitive and e-commerce pressures
- →Smaller market capitalization can mean lower trading liquidity and higher volatility
- →Mall real estate continues to face structural pressure from e-commerce shift
- →More volatile and economically sensitive than triple-net lease REITs
- →Department store anchor bankruptcies and closures create periodic releasing challenges
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.