Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. (SHO): A Bull Case Theory 

We came across a bullish thesis on Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. on Valueinvestorsclub.com by blaueskobalt. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on SHO. Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc.’s share was trading at $9.35 as of January 13th. SHO’s trailing and forward P/E were 467.50 and 175.44 respectively according to Yahoo Finance.

hotel, resort

Credit: Park Hotels & Resorts

Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO) preferred stock (Series H & I) presents a compelling investment opportunity, combining attractive upside potential with lower risk relative to common equity. The company owns nearly $4 billion in real estate across 14 hotels, comprising 7,000 rooms that are predominantly upper-upscale and luxury, geographically diversified, and mostly branded, including notable properties like Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Wailea Beach Resort, Ocean’s Edge in Key West, and high-ADR Napa Valley resorts.

The portfolio’s simplicity, quality, and scale make SHO a highly desirable M&A target in the hotel REIT space, with market consensus recognizing it as undervalued relative to NAV due to under-earning assets and a higher proportion of trophy hotels. Corporate governance is robust, with a non-staggered board and a respected reputation, and activist investor pressure, including a recent letter from Tarsadia demanding a sale, heightens the probability of a transaction.

Preferred shareholders stand to benefit substantially in a privatization, with Series H and I expected to be cashed out at par plus 20–25% upside. The securities provide a 7%+ cash yield, benefit from low leverage (~25% net, 3x EBITDA), and enjoy a large equity cushion compared to peers. Risks, including no sale or hotel performance deterioration, are mitigated by the seniority of the prefs and the ongoing cash distribution.

Even if no sale occurs, the preferred stock offers attractive yield with limited downside. Overall, the combination of a high likelihood of privatization, substantial potential upside, strong cash yield, and relative insulation from operational and interest rate risks creates an appealing risk/reward profile for investors, positioning SHO preferred stock as a unique and opportunistic play in the hotel REIT market.

Previously, we covered a bullish thesis on Park Hotels & Resorts Inc. (PK) by Value Investigator in May 2025, which highlighted the company’s undervalued premium hotel real estate, strong operational performance with high FFO yields, disciplined capital returns, and exposure to supply-constrained and secular growth trends. PK’s stock price has appreciated by approximately 13.84% since our coverage. Blaueskobalt shares a similar perspective but emphasizes Sunstone Hotel Investors’ preferred stock, focusing on privatization potential, activist-driven catalysts, and a senior security offering attractive yield with limited downside.

Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc. is not on our list of the 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 24 hedge fund portfolios held SHO at the end of the third quarter which was 23 in the previous quarter. While we acknowledge the risk and potential of SHO as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than SHO and that has 10,000% upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy NOW

Disclosure: None.