Global Net Lease (GNL) Gains Stability as Citizens Highlights Balance Sheet Cleanup

Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GNL) is included among the 13 Dividend Stocks with Over 8% Yield.

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On January 12, Citizens lifted its price target on Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GNL) to $10 from $9 and kept an Outperform rating on the stock. The firm pointed to the company’s steady progress in cutting leverage through 2025, saying GNL now looks far more stable than it did not long ago. According to the analyst, the balance sheet cleanup came together well ahead of schedule, helped by asset sales that also gave the company room to scale the portfolio and buy back shares when it made sense.

That progress showed up clearly on December 23, when GNL confirmed it had closed the sale of the McLaren Campus in Woking, England. The three-building property spans about 840,000 square feet and sold for £250 million at a 7.4% cash cap rate. The deal produced an estimated £80 million gain over what GNL originally paid, a solid outcome and a clean example of its capital recycling plan at work.

The McLaren sale also wrapped up the company’s broader disposition program. Over roughly 23 months, GNL sold about $3.3 billion worth of non-core assets. With that phase complete, management is now shifting attention toward the next chapter, which centers on disciplined earnings growth. A large portion of the proceeds is expected to go toward paying down debt, further reinforcing the company’s investment-grade balance sheet.

Selling the McLaren Campus for roughly £80 million more than the April 2021 purchase price underscored the value GNL has been able to unlock through a more focused, methodical approach.

Global Net Lease, Inc. (NYSE:GNL) is an internally managed REIT that owns and operates income-producing net lease properties across the US, as well as parts of Western and Northern Europe.

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