In today's second-round match-up of The Motley Fool's Better-Buy Tournament, Realty Income squares off against Whole Foods Market in a battle to determine which stock is the better buy now. The 64-company tournament pits two Motley Fool analysts against each other as they make the case for their stocks with the winner determined by you, the readers.
Any company that boldly labels itself as "the monthly dividend company" will always pique the interest of many investors looking for income, but it turns out Realty Income (O 1.72%) is something everyone should consider. The reality that it has increased its dividend for 66 consecutive quarters is eye-opening and appealing, but so is the fact that its ever-important adjusted funds from operations rose by 17% last year. Throw in a diverse revenue stream from a variety of businesses, and a great management team, and there is no denying the investment potential here. Patrick Morris makes the case for Realty Income.
Motley Fool consumer-goods editor Mark Reeth, meanwhile, believes that Whole Foods Market (WFM) has a lot of growth ahead of it. Although the company has been top dog in the natural-food revolution for years, the healthy-eating trend is only getting stronger in the United States. That's why, even though the company has around 370 stores in the United States, it sees room for a total of 1,200 and will continue opening stores to hit that goal. When it does open new stores, they turn a profit quickly, with same-store sales at locations open for less than two years, hitting 20% this last quarter.
Watch these analysts square off in the following video, and then vote for a winner. Then check out the other companies in The Motley Fool's Better-Buy Bracket.
This year's winning stock?
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Cast your vote in the poll below the video!
