Analyzing Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) and Four Corners Property Trust (NYSE:FCPT)

Gaming and Leisure Properties (NASDAQ:GLPI) and Four Corners Property Trust (NYSE:FCPT) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Gaming and Leisure Properties and Four Corners Property Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Gaming and Leisure Properties	0	6	6	0	2.50
Four Corners Property Trust	0	5	3	0	2.38

Gaming and Leisure Properties currently has a consensus price target of $52.32, indicating a potential upside of 19.09%. Four Corners Property Trust has a consensus price target of $27.86, indicating a potential upside of 17.36%. Given Gaming and Leisure Properties’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Gaming and Leisure Properties is more favorable than Four Corners Property Trust.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Gaming and Leisure Properties and Four Corners Property Trust”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Gaming and Leisure Properties	$1.59 billion	7.80	$825.11 million	$2.91	15.10
Four Corners Property Trust	$294.13 million	8.86	$112.36 million	$1.10	21.58

Gaming and Leisure Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Four Corners Property Trust. Gaming and Leisure Properties is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Four Corners Property Trust, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

Gaming and Leisure Properties pays an annual dividend of $3.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.1%. Four Corners Property Trust pays an annual dividend of $1.47 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.2%. Gaming and Leisure Properties pays out 107.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Four Corners Property Trust pays out 133.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Gaming and Leisure Properties has increased its dividend for 2 consecutive years and Four Corners Property Trust has increased its dividend for 5 consecutive years. Gaming and Leisure Properties is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Volatility and Risk

Gaming and Leisure Properties has a beta of 0.64, suggesting that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Four Corners Property Trust has a beta of 0.82, suggesting that its share price is 18% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

91.1% of Gaming and Leisure Properties shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 98.7% of Four Corners Property Trust shares are held by institutional investors. 4.3% of Gaming and Leisure Properties shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of Four Corners Property Trust shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Gaming and Leisure Properties and Four Corners Property Trust’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Gaming and Leisure Properties	52.24%	17.10%	6.62%
Four Corners Property Trust	38.20%	7.39%	4.00%

Summary

Gaming and Leisure Properties beats Four Corners Property Trust on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Gaming and Leisure Properties

Gaming & Leisure Properties, Inc. engages in the provision of acquiring, financing, and owning real estate property to be leased to gaming operators in triple-net lease arrangements. The company was founded on February 13, 2013 and is headquartered in Wyomissing, PA.

About Four Corners Property Trust

Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. engages in the owning, acquisition, and leasing of properties for use in the restaurant and food-service related industries. It operates through the Real Estate Operations and Restaurant Operations segments. The Real Estate Operations segment consists of rental revenues generated by leasing restaurant properties. The Restaurant Operations segment includes the Kerrow Restaurant operating business. The company was founded on July 2, 2015 and is headquartered in Mill Valley, CA.