Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O) Short Interest Update

05 Mar 2026, 02:24 by Mitch Edgeman · The Markets Daily

Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O – Get Free Report) saw a significant drop in short interest in the month of February. As of February 13th, there was short interest totaling 27,137,724 shares, a drop of 18.5% from the January 29th total of 33,300,010 shares. Approximately 3.0% of the company’s stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,039,522 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.9 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 7,039,522 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.9 days. Approximately 3.0% of the company’s stock are short sold.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. EFG International AG purchased a new stake in Realty Income in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Stance Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Realty Income in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Realty Income by 257.1% during the fourth quarter. Evolution Wealth Management Inc. now owns 500 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares during the period. Heartwood Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Realty Income during the third quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Quattro Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Realty Income in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 70.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Realty Income News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Realty Income this week:

Positive Sentiment: Several bullish analyst/features highlight Realty Income’s net-lease scale and income appeal, reinforcing its long-term dividend story. Realty Income: Has The Net Lease Giant Found A New Growth Engine? (Rating Upgrade)
Positive Sentiment: Featured on a “Top Stocks to Double Up On” list, underscoring buy-the-dip / accumulation narratives among income-focused investors. Top Stocks to Double Up on Right Now
Positive Sentiment: Bullish commentary arguing the company’s growth runway (M&A and portfolio optimization) supports total-return upside and continued dividend reliability. Realty Income: The Ride Has Just Begun
Positive Sentiment: Included in lists highlighting monthly-paying S&P dividend stocks and “safe” monthly dividend names — positive for income-seeking investors and long-term holders. These S&P 500 Dividend Stocks Are Quietly Crushing the Index — And Paying You Monthly
Neutral Sentiment: Management presented at Citi’s Miami Global Property CEO Conference; the transcript gives investors direct access to strategy and portfolio commentary but contains no material surprises. Realty Income Corporation (O) Presents at Citi’s Miami Global Property CEO Conference 2026 Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Realty Income announced its Chief Legal Officer will depart but will remain through Sept. 2 to ensure an orderly transition — limits near-term disruption but is a governance watch item. Realty Income Plans Legal Leadership Transition While Pursuing Ongoing M&A Growth
Negative Sentiment: Freedom Capital downgraded Realty Income from “strong-buy” to “hold,” which likely contributed to selling pressure given the stock’s large retail/income investor base. Zacks: Analyst Downgrade Notice

Realty Income Stock Performance

Shares of Realty Income stock traded down $0.51 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $66.05. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 7,201,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,718,284. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $61.64 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $59.56. Realty Income has a fifty-two week low of $50.71 and a fifty-two week high of $67.93. The firm has a market cap of $61.59 billion, a PE ratio of 56.45, a P/E/G ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a current ratio of 1.40, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72.

Realty Income (NYSE:O – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.08 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $1.08. Realty Income had a net margin of 18.41% and a return on equity of 2.68%. The company had revenue of $1.40 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.40 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.05 EPS. Realty Income’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. Realty Income has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.380-4.420 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Realty Income will post 4.19 EPS for the current year.

Realty Income Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be paid a $0.27 dividend. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Realty Income’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 276.92%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an “underweight” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Realty Income in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Realty Income from $67.75 to $70.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Realty Income from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Scotiabank raised shares of Realty Income from a “sector perform” rating to a “sector outperform” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $60.00 to $67.00 in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their price objective on Realty Income from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $65.18.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on O

About Realty Income

(Get Free Report)

Realty Income Corporation (NYSE: O) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns and manages commercial properties subject primarily to long-term net lease agreements. The company’s business model focuses on generating predictable, contractual rental income by leasing properties to tenants under agreements that typically place responsibility for taxes, insurance and maintenance on the tenant. Realty Income is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange and markets itself as a reliable income-oriented REIT.

Realty Income’s portfolio is concentrated in single-tenant, retail and service-oriented properties such as drugstores, convenience stores, dollar and discount retailers, restaurants, and other essential-service businesses.