Should You Buy, Hold or Sell Realty Income Stock Before Q2 Earnings?

Realty Income Corporation O, a leader in the net lease sector, is slated to release second-quarter 2026 results on Aug. 5, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter’s adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) and revenues is pegged at $1.09 per share and $1.54 billion, respectively.

While the Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 AFFO per share has remained unchanged over the past two months, it suggests 3.81% growth year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues implies a notable year-over-year increase of 8.98%. 

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For the current year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Realty Income’s revenues is pegged at $6.27 billion, indicating a rise of 9.03% year over year. The consensus mark for 2026 AFFO per share is pinned at $4.45, calling for an expansion of around 3.97% on a year-over-year basis. 

Over the trailing four quarters, the company’s AFFO per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate on two occasions, met it once and missed it in the other. This is depicted in the graph below:

Realty Income Corporation Price and EPS Surprise

Realty Income Corporation price-eps-surprise | Realty Income Corporation Quote

Here Is What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for O

Our proven model doesn’t predict a surprise in terms of AFFO per share for Realty Income this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an AFFO beat, which is not the case here. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Realty Income currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

What Is Realty Income Likely to Have Revealed in Q2?

Realty Income’s second-quarter 2026 earnings report is expected to show that the company continued to benefit from the momentum built in the first quarter, supported by strong occupancy, steady investment activity and growing contributions from its private capital platform. Investors are likely to have focused on whether acquisition-driven growth and resilient property fundamentals were enough to offset the impact of higher financing costs during the quarter under review.

Management’s updated 2026 guidance provides the benchmark for second-quarter expectations. Realty Income is expected to have experienced continued AFFO growth, supported by occupancy around its 98.5% target, same-store rent growth of 1-1.3% and a full-quarter contribution from investments completed earlier in the year. The company’s diversified portfolio and long-term lease structure are expected to have supported stable rental income, while recent acquisitions are likely to have contributed to revenue growth.

The company is also expected to have experienced another active investment quarter. After deploying $2.8 billion during the first quarter and raising its full-year investment target to $9.5 billion, Realty Income’s acquisition pipeline is expected to have remained healthy across the United States and Europe. Continued capital deployment at attractive yields may have benefited rental revenue growth and strengthened earnings visibility.

Realty Income is further expected to have seen broader support from its expanding private capital strategy. The Apollo retail joint venture, additional capital raised through the U.S. Core Plus Fund and other institutional partnerships are expected to have improved revenue visibility while providing greater funding flexibility. These initiatives are likely to have contributed to investment capacity without relying solely on the public equity markets.

On the other hand, higher borrowing costs are expected to have pressured results in the quarter under review, although the company’s use of cross-currency swaps may have partially offset financing costs. Overall, Realty Income is expected to have delivered another stable quarter, with resilient operating fundamentals outweighing the impact of a higher-rate funding environment.

O’s Price Performance & Valuation

Shares of Realty Income have rallied 11.4% so far in the year, aligning with the S&P 500 composite’s increase but underperforming the Zacks REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry’s rise of 21.4%. 

While Realty Income has underperformed its industry, it has rallied more than its peers like Agree Realty Corporation ADC and Essential Properties Realty Trust, Inc. EPRT. 

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Valuation-wise, Realty Income trades at a forward price-to-FFO of 13.98X, below the retail REIT industry average of 17.19X but above its one-year median of 13.71X. O stock is also currently trading at a reasonable discount compared with its industry peers, Agree Realty Corporation and Essential Properties Realty Trust. However, this valuation disparity might not be as favorable as it seems. Agree Realty is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-FFO of 16.40X, while Essential Properties Realty Trust is trading at 14.69X.

However, the Value Score of D suggests that Realty Income may not be a bargain at current levels.

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How to Play Realty Income Stock Ahead of Q2 Earnings?

Realty Income’s second-quarter setup supports a favorable investment view. High occupancy, steady rent growth and contributions from recent acquisitions are expected to have supported AFFO, while the Apollo venture and U.S. Core Plus Fund may have improved funding flexibility and fee income. The company’s diversified portfolio, disciplined capital deployment, strong liquidity and raised 2026 guidance suggest that operating momentum remains intact.

For investors seeking dependable income with moderate growth potential, the outlook supports adding the shares at present levels.

Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO) — a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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