GET DAILY SIGNALSADC vs NNN: Comparing Two Net-Lease Retail REITs
Key Takeaways
- Both ADC and NNN are net-lease retail real estate investment trusts (REITs), but they target different corners of the sector.
- ADC emphasizes larger-format, investment-grade tenants and a monthly dividend, while NNN focuses on freestanding single-tenant service and non-discretionary retail with a higher yield.
- NNN has delivered its 37th consecutive annual dividend increase, a milestone shared by only a small number of publicly traded REITs.
- Tickeron AI Verdict: Based on dividend durability, occupancy stability, and relative market positioning, Tickeron's AI currently favors NNN as the stronger candidate of the two.
- For deeper context on each name, explore ADC Major News, ADC Today's Price Move, NNN Major News, and NNN Today's Price Move.
- To see which automated strategies are currently in favor, explore the Trending AI Robots page.
Introduction
Agree Realty Corporation and NNN REIT, Inc. stand out among net-lease retail REITs, a space that income-focused investors often turn to for long-duration leases and steady cash flows. While both operate in the same broad sector, their portfolios, strategies, and risk profiles set them apart in important respects. This comparison matters for anyone assessing relative performance, dividend consistency, and how each fits into current market conditions. From what I see, understanding these differences helps clarify which approach aligns better with individual goals.
ADC Overview and Recent Performance
Agree Realty Corporation (ADC) acquires and develops retail properties net leased to leading omni-channel tenants. Its portfolio spans all 50 states, with key tenants including Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Dollar General. Investment-grade tenants represent about 65% of its rent, and the company benefits from a low average rent per square foot tied to larger-format properties. I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to see how the stock compares to others in the industry.
Recent results show portfolio occupancy at a record 99.8% and an upward revision to full-year AFFO per share guidance. Management highlights a conservative balance sheet with no significant debt maturities until 2028. That said, rising capital costs have led to a more measured 2026 investment outlook, with a focus on higher cap rates rather than volume alone.
NNN Overview and Recent Performance
NNN REIT, Inc. (NNN), based in Orlando, Florida, owns freestanding single-tenant properties under long-term net leases. Its holdings lean toward service and non-discretionary retail, including automotive service, convenience stores, and limited-service restaurants. Geographic spread across the South, Southeast, and Midwest supports cash flow stability.
Recent figures indicate year-over-year AFFO growth of about 5.8%, occupancy at 99.2%, and a weighted average lease term near 10 years. The quarterly dividend rose to $0.62 per share, marking the 37th straight annual increase, with a payout ratio around 68% of AFFO. A sector-leading weighted average debt maturity of nearly 10 years helps limit near-term refinancing exposure.
Head-to-Head Comparison
The main differences between ADC and NNN come down to portfolio makeup and income characteristics. ADC leans toward larger properties leased to investment-grade, omni-channel retailers, which supports higher credit quality but lower average rent per square foot. NNN holds thousands of smaller freestanding sites in convenience, automotive, and quick-service categories, accepting somewhat lower tenant credit quality in exchange for a higher yield—roughly 6% compared with ADC’s roughly 4.5%.
ADC has grown externally through acquisitions and development, while NNN emphasizes selective sale-leasebacks and portfolio management. ADC’s leverage appears lower on a pro forma basis, yet NNN’s longer debt duration and liquidity provide another layer of resilience. ADC distributes dividends monthly and NNN quarterly, though NNN’s longer streak of increases stands out for income investors. Risk profiles also vary, with ADC more exposed to larger retail formats and NNN carrying concentration in certain cyclical tenant groups.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Considering trend consistency, dividend durability, occupancy stability, and positioning, Tickeron’s AI currently points toward NNN as the more balanced choice between the two. Its 37-year dividend increase record, higher yield, solid AFFO growth, and extended debt maturity profile form a steady picture. Still, this remains a probabilistic view: ADC holds clear strengths in credit quality and balance-sheet metrics, and changes in rates or tenant conditions could shift the relative outlook. I’m watching this closely as conditions evolve.
Using Tickeron’s AI Tools for REIT Research
In my analysis of names like these, I often turn to Tickeron’s AI Daily Buy/Sell Signals to cross-check momentum and timing signals alongside the fundamentals. The platform’s automated strategies help surface patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, giving a practical edge when comparing similar REITs. It is one of several tools I reference regularly for portfolio decisions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
ADC's RSI Indicator recovers from oversold territory
The RSI Indicator for ADC moved out of oversold territory on October 08, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is shifting from a downward trend to an upward trend. Traders may want to buy the stock or call options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 28 similar instances when the indicator left oversold territory. In 21 of the 28 cases the stock moved higher. This puts the odds of a move higher at 75%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 22, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on ADC as a result. In 41 of 84 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 49%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for ADC just turned positive on October 08, 2026. Looking at past instances where ADC's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 25 of 45 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
ADC moved above its 50-day moving average on November 02, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend.
The 10-day moving average for ADC crossed bullishly above the 50-day moving average on November 06, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted higher and could be considered a buy signal. In 10 of 15 past instances when the 10-day crossed above the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 67%.
Following a +2.32% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where ADC advanced for three days, in 152 of 326 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 47%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator demonstrated that the ticker has stayed in the overbought zone for 11 days. The longer the ticker stays in the overbought zone, the sooner a price pull-back is expected.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where ADC declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 39%.
ADC broke above its upper Bollinger Band on November 04, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for ADC entered a downward trend on October 26, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 50 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 52 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. ADC’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 56 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 60, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 62 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 86 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 92 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.370) is normal, around the industry mean (2.797). P/E Ratio (37.565) is within average values for comparable stocks, (36.193). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (10.790) is also within normal values, averaging (12.808). Dividend Yield (0.016) settles around the average of (339.763) among similar stocks. ADC's P/S Ratio (10.277) is slightly higher than the industry average of (6.739).
Notable companies
Industry description
Market Cap
High and low price notable news
Volume
Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
Advertisement
General Information
a Real Estate Investment Trust
Industry RealEstateInvestmentTrusts
Advertisement