Which Is a Better Investment, CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. Stock?

By Tudor Pop
July 31, 2026
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Sifting through countless of stocks in the Health Care 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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. 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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. is a self-administered, publicly traded real estate investment trust engaged in the ownership, acquisition, development and leasing of skilled nursing, senior housing and other healthcare-related properties. With a portfolio of long-term net-leased properties spanning the United States and United Kingdom, and a growing portfolio of quality operators leasing them, CareTrust is pursuing both external and organic growth opportunities across the United States and internationally. CareTrust REIT, Inc. was established and incorporated on October 29, 2013 and is based in Dana Point, United States.

Welltower Inc., an S&P 500 company, is positioned at the center of the silver economy, focusing on rental housing for aging seniors across the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Their portfolio of 2,500+ seniors and wellness housing communities are positioned at the intersection of housing and hospitality, creating vibrant communities for mature renters and older adults. They believe our real estate portfolio is unmatched, located in highly attractive micro markets with stunning built environments. Yet, Welltower is an unusual real estate organization as they view themselves as an operating company in a real estate wrapper, driven by highly aligned partnerships and an unconventional culture. Through their disciplined approach to capital allocation powered by their Data Science platform and superior operating results driven by the Welltower Business System - their end-to-end operating platform - they aspire to deliver long-term compounding of per share growth for their existing investors, North Star. Welltower Inc. was incorporated in 1970 in Delaware and is based in Toledo, Ohio.

Latest Health Care REITs and CareTrust REIT, Inc., Welltower Inc. Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, CareTrust REIT, Inc. had a $9.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Health Care REITs median of $4.5 million. CareTrust REIT, Inc.’s stock is up 16% in 2026, down 3% in the previous five trading days and up 33.19% in the past year.

Currently, CareTrust REIT, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 26.7. CareTrust REIT, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $522.6 million with a 64.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 47.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.805 per share for the current fiscal year. CareTrust REIT, Inc. currently has a 3.7% dividend yield.

As of July 31, 2026, Welltower Inc. had a $169.0 billion market cap, putting it in the 98th percentile of all stocks. Welltower Inc.’s stock is up 26.3% in 2026, down 7% in the previous five trading days and up 40.91% in the past year.

Currently, Welltower Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 106.3. Welltower Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $12.8 billion with a 12.1% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 39.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.010 per share for the current fiscal year. Welltower Inc. currently has a 1.5% dividend yield.

How We Compare CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. 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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. Stock Value Grades

Company Ticker Value
CareTrust REIT, Inc. CTRE F
Welltower Inc. WELL 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.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. has a Value Score of 12, which is Ultra Expensive. Welltower Inc. has a Value Score of 3, which is Ultra Expensive.

The Value Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. 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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. is the better investment when it comes to value.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc.’s Quality Grades

Company Ticker Quality
CareTrust REIT, Inc. CTRE C
Welltower Inc. WELL 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.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. has a Quality Score of 47, which is Average. Welltower Inc. has a Quality Score of 32, which is Weak.

The Quality Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. 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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. is the better investment when it comes to quality.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company Ticker Momentum
CareTrust REIT, Inc. CTRE B
Welltower Inc. WELL B

Momentum grades help to 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. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

CareTrust REIT, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 64, which is Strong. Welltower Inc. has a Momentum Score of 69, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. have a grade of B. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

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Other CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. Grades

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

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

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 CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, CareTrust REIT, Inc. or Welltower Inc. Stock?

Overall, CareTrust REIT, Inc. stock has a Value Score of 12, Momentum Score of 64 and Quality Score of 47.

Welltower Inc. stock has a Value Score of 3, Momentum Score of 69 and Quality Score of 32.

Comparing CareTrust REIT, Inc. and Welltower Inc.’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.

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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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