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KIM vs KRG
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Kimco Realty (KIM) vs. Kite Realty Group (KRG) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Kimco Realty (KIM) delivered 6.7% FFO (Funds From Operations — a key REIT earnings metric) per share growth in 2025, while Kite Realty Group (KRG) posted 3.5% Core FFO per share growth over the same period.
- KIM holds an A-level credit rating from all three major rating agencies, reflecting superior balance sheet strength relative to KRG's 4.9x net debt to EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization).
- KRG has aggressively reshaped its portfolio through $622 million in dispositions and two joint ventures with GIC, reducing power center exposure by approximately 400 basis points of annualized base rent.
- Both REITs operate in the same grocery-anchored shopping center segment, yet KIM's national scale (523+ properties) contrasts sharply with KRG's concentrated Sun Belt strategy (~180 properties).
- KRG repurchased $300 million of its own shares in recent quarters at what management described as a significant discount to net asset value, while KIM also executed meaningful buybacks totaling 6.1 million shares in 2025.
- Occupancy rates favor KIM at 96.4% (matching an all-time high) versus KRG at 95.1%, though both companies posted record leasing activity in 2025.
Introduction
Investors evaluating the retail real estate investment trust (REIT) space frequently encounter two prominent names: KIM and KRG. Both companies are leading owners and operators of open-air, grocery-anchored shopping centers — a subsector that has demonstrated remarkable resilience through e-commerce disruption and shifting consumer habits. Yet beneath the surface similarities lie meaningful differences in scale, geographic strategy, balance sheet quality, and recent operational momentum. This comparison is particularly relevant for income-oriented investors and those seeking exposure to necessity-based retail real estate, as both stocks offer dividend yields in the 4% to 5% range while navigating the same macroeconomic currents of interest rate sensitivity and retail leasing demand.
KIM Overview and Recent Performance
KIM (Kimco Realty Corporation) stands as one of North America's largest publicly traded owners of grocery-anchored shopping centers, with ownership interests in approximately 523 properties encompassing roughly 90 million square feet of gross leasable area. The company's portfolio is diversified across major U.S. metropolitan markets, with a presence in both coastal gateway cities and Sun Belt growth corridors. Kimco is an S&P 500 constituent and has been publicly listed since 1991.
In recent market activity, Kimco has demonstrated strong operational execution. The company reported full-year 2025 FFO per diluted share of $1.76, representing a 6.7% year-over-year increase — marking the second consecutive year of FFO growth exceeding 5%. Same-property NOI (Net Operating Income) grew 3.0% for the full year, supported by sustained leasing demand. Occupancy reached an all-time high of 96.4%, with small shop occupancy hitting a record 92.7%. The leased-to-economic occupancy spread widened to 390 basis points, representing $73 million in signed-but-not-yet-commenced annual base rent — a forward indicator of future revenue growth. Additionally, Kimco achieved an A3 unsecured debt rating from Moody's Ratings in recent months, placing it among a select group of REITs with A-level ratings across all three major agencies. The company ended 2025 with over $2.2 billion in immediate liquidity.
KRG Overview and Recent Performance
KRG (Kite Realty Group Trust) is a premier owner and operator of open-air grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use assets, with a portfolio concentrated in high-growth Sun Belt markets and select strategic gateway locations. The company owns interests in approximately 180 properties comprising about 28 million square feet of gross leasable space. KRG has been publicly listed since 2004 and brings more than six decades of experience in developing, operating, and investing in retail real estate.
Recent quarters have been defined by significant portfolio transformation at KRG. The company leased approximately 4.6 million square feet in 2025 at blended cash leasing spreads of 13.8%, including 28 new anchor leases at spreads of 23.5%. Full-year 2025 Core FFO per share reached $2.06, a 3.5% increase over the prior year, while same-property NOI grew 2.9%. On the capital allocation front, KRG formed two joint ventures with GIC totaling approximately $1 billion in gross asset value, sold 13 properties and two land parcels for gross proceeds of roughly $622 million, and repurchased 13 million common shares for $300 million at an average price of $23.00. Portfolio occupancy improved sequentially to 95.1% leased, with anchor occupancy at 96.7% and small shop at 92.3%. The company's leased-to-occupied spread stands at 340 basis points, representing $37 million in signed-not-open NOI. KRG also raised its quarterly dividend by 7.4% year-over-year to $0.29 per share.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The most immediate contrast between KIM and KRG lies in scale and diversification. Kimco, with a market capitalization roughly three times larger than Kite's and a portfolio nearly triple in property count, offers investors a broader, more nationally diversified exposure to the grocery-anchored retail theme. KRG, by contrast, represents a more concentrated wager on Sun Belt demographic trends — a strategy that has supported above-average rent growth but introduces geographic concentration risk.
On balance sheet quality, KIM holds a clear edge. Its A3 rating from Moody's — part of an A-level rating suite across all three major agencies — translates to a lower cost of debt capital and greater financial flexibility in varying interest rate environments. KRG's net debt to EBITDA ratio of 4.9x remains within management's long-term target range of 5.0x to 5.5x and is reasonable by REIT industry standards, but it does not match the fortress-like credit profile Kimco has built.
Operationally, both companies are executing well. KIM generated stronger FFO per share growth in 2025 (6.7% versus KRG's 3.5% Core FFO growth) and holds a higher portfolio occupancy rate. However, KRG's leasing spreads on new anchor deals (23.5%) and its aggressive portfolio repositioning — shedding power centers in favor of grocery-anchored neighborhood and mixed-use assets — signal a company in the midst of a deliberate quality upgrade. KRG's $300 million share buyback program, executed at what management characterized as a meaningful discount to consensus NAV (Net Asset Value), also reflects conviction in intrinsic value.
From a valuation standpoint, KRG has traded at a lower price-to-earnings multiple than KIM, though REIT valuation is more accurately assessed through price-to-FFO comparisons. Both stocks offer comparable dividend yields in the mid-to-high 4% range. KRG carries a lower beta of approximately 0.86 versus KIM's 1.04, indicating that KRG shares have historically exhibited less sensitivity to broad market swings — a characteristic that may appeal to risk-conscious income investors.
Sentiment indicators reveal a nuanced picture. KIM enjoys a slightly higher consensus analyst rating, while KRG benefits from more favorable media sentiment scores in recent weeks, according to MarketBeat data. Institutional ownership is robust for both, exceeding 89% in each case. One notable development: Land & Buildings Investment Management fully exited its KRG position in late 2025, a move that drew attention given the fund's prior 3.6% portfolio allocation to the stock.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable trend consistency, operational momentum, balance sheet quality, and relative market positioning, Tickeron's AI-driven analysis would likely favor KIM in the current environment — though this preference is probabilistic rather than definitive. Kimco's combination of superior credit ratings, higher FFO growth trajectory, record occupancy levels, a larger signed-not-open pipeline ($73 million versus $37 million), and greater portfolio diversification provides a more consistent trend profile that AI models tend to recognize as favorable. The company's A-level credit ratings across all three agencies also represent a stability factor that quantitative models often weight positively, particularly in a rate-sensitive REIT environment. That said, KRG's aggressive buyback activity, portfolio repositioning toward higher-growth assets, and Sun Belt demographic tailwinds remain compelling catalysts that could narrow the gap if execution continues at the current pace. Neither stock is without risk, as both remain sensitive to interest rate expectations and consumer spending patterns, but the AI's analytical framework would likely identify KIM's broader moat and steadier momentum as the more probabilistically attractive setup under current conditions.
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.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is KIM is a Hold and KRG is a Hold.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
KIM’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileKRG’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- KIM’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- KRG’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
KIM’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KRG’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- KIM’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 4 bearish.
- KRG’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
KIM (@Real Estate Investment Trusts) experienced а -2.38% price change this week, while KRG (@Real Estate Investment Trusts) price change was -2.35% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Real Estate Investment Trusts industry was -4.56%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.64%, and the average quarterly price growth was +14.33%.
Reported Earning Dates
KIM is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
KRG is expected to report earnings on Nov 04, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Real Estate Investment Trusts (-4.56% weekly)A real estate investment trust (REIT) is a company any that owns, and in most cases, operates, income-producing real estate – ranging from office and apartment buildings to warehouses, hospitals, shopping centers, hotels and timberlands. Some REITs are involved in financing real estate. Equity REITs invest in and own properties, while mortgage REITs own and invest in property mortgages. REITs are required by law to pay out at least 90% of their annual taxable income (excluding capital gains) to shareholders in the form of dividends. Some REITs could be more cyclical than others; for example, when an economy is undergoing a recession, hotel REITs could be more vulnerable, compared to say healthcare REIT given that healthcare needs are less likely to depend on economic cycles. American Tower Corporation, Prologis, Inc. and Crown Castle International Corp are some of the biggest REIT companies in the U.S.
| KIM | KRG | KIM / KRG | |
| Capitalization | 17.2B | 5.81B | 296% |
| EBITDA | 1.48B | 824M | 179% |
| Gain YTD | 28.500 | 24.245 | 118% |
| P/E Ratio | 29.29 | 17.89 | 164% |
| Revenue | 2.16B | 807M | 268% |
| Total Cash | 168M | 145M | 116% |
| Total Debt | 8.31B | 2.84B | 292% |
KIM | KRG | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 64 | 76 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 41 Fair valued | 31 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 61 | 32 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 84 | 69 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 24 | 43 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 45 | 86 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
KRG's Valuation (31) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as KIM (41). This means that KRG’s stock grew similarly to KIM’s over the last 12 months.
KRG's Profit vs Risk Rating (32) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as KIM (61). This means that KRG’s stock grew similarly to KIM’s over the last 12 months.
KRG's SMR Rating (69) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as KIM (84). This means that KRG’s stock grew similarly to KIM’s over the last 12 months.
KIM's Price Growth Rating (24) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as KRG (43). This means that KIM’s stock grew similarly to KRG’s over the last 12 months.
KIM's P/E Growth Rating (45) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KRG (86). This means that KIM’s stock grew somewhat faster than KRG’s over the last 12 months.
| KIM | KRG | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | 3 days ago 58% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 52% | 3 days ago 63% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 47% | 3 days ago 53% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 49% | 3 days ago 50% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 54% | 3 days ago 53% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 7 days ago 57% | 7 days ago 58% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 50% | 5 days ago 49% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 48% | 3 days ago 40% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 47% |
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KIM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KIM has been closely correlated with BRX. These tickers have moved in lockstep 86% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if KIM jumps, then BRX could also see price increases.