Which Is a Better Investment, Macerich Co or National Retail Properties, Inc. Stock?

By Jenna Brashear
September 06, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Retail REITs industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company

NNN REIT, Inc. is a REIT that invests in high-quality properties subjected generally to long-term, net leases with minimal ongoing capital expenditures. As of June 30, 2026, the Company owned 3,774 properties across 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, encompassing approximately 40.4 million square feet of gross leasable area, with a weighted average remaining lease term of 10.1 years. NNN REIT, Inc. was incorporated in August 1984 in Maryland and is based in Orlando, Florida.

The Macerich Company is a fully integrated, self-managed, self-administered real estate investment trust (REIT). As a leading owner, operator, and developer of high-quality retail real estate in densely populated and attractive U.S. markets, Macerich’s portfolio is concentrated in California, the Pacific Northwest, Phoenix/Scottsdale, and the Metro New York to Washington, D.C. corridor. Developing and managing properties that serve as community cornerstones, Macerich currently owns approximately 40 million square feet of real estate, consisting primarily of interests in 38 retail centers. The Macerich Company was incorporated in 1964 in Maryland and is based in Santa Monica, California.

Latest Retail REITs and NNN REIT, Inc., The Macerich Company Stock News

As of September 4, 2026, NNN REIT, Inc. had a $8.6 billion market capitalization, compared to the Retail REITs median of $4.7 million. NNN REIT, Inc.’s stock is up 12.6% in 2026, down 2.3% in the previous five trading days and up 5.31% in the past year.

Currently, NNN REIT, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 22.0. NNN REIT, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $953.2 million with a 40.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 7.7%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $2.070 per share for the current fiscal year. NNN REIT, Inc. currently has a 5.6% dividend yield.

As of September 4, 2026, The Macerich Company had a $6.6 billion market cap, putting it in the 71st percentile of all stocks. The Macerich Company’s stock is up 25.9% in 2026, down 2.1% in the previous five trading days and up 25.62% in the past year.

Currently, The Macerich Company does not have a price-earnings ratio. The Macerich Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $1.0 billion with a -16.5% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 1.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $-0.180 per share for the current fiscal year. The Macerich Company currently has a 2.9% dividend yield.

How We Compare NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company Stock Value Grades

Company Ticker Value
NNN REIT, Inc. NNN D
The Macerich Company MAC F

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection.

Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade derives from a stock’s value score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are a good value and so on.

NNN REIT, Inc. has a Value Score of 33, which is Expensive. The Macerich Company has a Value Score of 14, which is Ultra Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company has a high enough value grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolio. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company is the better investment when it comes to value.

NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
NNN REIT, Inc. NNN C
The Macerich Company MAC D

Like the Value Grade, AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the percentile rank of key metrics. Specifically, the Quality Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and the F-Score.

The score is variable, meaning it can consider all eight measures or, should any of the eight measures not be valid, the remaining measures that are valid. To be assigned a Quality Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) measure and corresponding ranking for at least four of the eight quality measures.

The Quality Score is used to assess the underlying “quality” of a particular stock. A higher-quality stock possesses traits associated with upside potential and reduced downside risk. Backtesting of the Quality Grade shows that stocks with higher grades, on average, outperformed stocks with lower grades over the period of 1998 through 2019.

Stocks receive better grades (higher scores) for having higher scores for the quality subcomponents and worse grades (lower scores) for lower scores for the subcomponents.

NNN REIT, Inc. has a Quality Score of 44, which is Average. The Macerich Company has a Quality Score of 31, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company has a high enough Quality Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company is the better investment when it comes to quality.

NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company Ticker Earnings Estimate
NNN REIT, Inc. NNN C
The Macerich Company MAC F

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

NNN REIT, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 42, which is Neutral. The Macerich Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 12, which is Very Negative.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Don’t Forget Your Free Special Report on How A+ Grades Can Help You Make Investment Decisions

Other NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company Grades

In addition to Quality, Value and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Growth and Momentum.

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Momentum grades help uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming.

Growth investing builds on the idea that stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth outperform those of slower-growth companies. AAII measures growth through consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, NNN REIT, Inc. or The Macerich Company Stock?

Overall, NNN REIT, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 33, Estimate Revisions Score of 42 and Quality Score of 44.

The Macerich Company stock has a Value Score of 14, Estimate Revisions Score of 12 and Quality Score of 31.

Comparing NNN REIT, Inc. and The Macerich Company’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

Learn More About A+ Investor

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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