CDP vs CUZ: COPT Defense Properties and Cousins Properties compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Cousins Properties is the larger company, worth $4.4B, close to COPT Defense Properties's $3.9B.
- Cousins Properties grew revenue faster over the last year (+11.8% vs -45.7%).
- Cousins Properties keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (68.0% vs -1599.1%).
- On earnings, COPT Defense Properties is the cheaper stock (24.4x vs 111.3x).
- Cousins Properties's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 11% a year, against -0% for COPT Defense Properties (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | CDP | CUZ |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $3.9B | $4.4B |
| Share price | $33.48 | $27.53 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $42M | $994M |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $289M | $135M |
| Revenue growth, last year | -45.7% | +11.8% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | -21.0% | +7.1% |
| Operating margin | -1599.1% | 68.0% |
| Net margin | 534.3% | 0.62% |
| Return on equity | 11.2% | 0.14% |
| P/E (trailing) | 24.4x | 111.3x |
| Price / free cash flow | 15.3x | 32.8x |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.7x | 14.1x |
| FCF growth the price implies | -0.27% | 11.5% |
| Dividend yield | 3.7% | 4.7% |
| Debt / equity | 1.90x | 1.01x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 1 | 0 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 0 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
COPT Defense Properties
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $108M | $219M | -359.6% |
| 2022 | $155M | $229M | -260.6% |
| 2023 | $60M | $256M | -1145.1% |
| 2024 | $76M | $300M | -614.7% |
| 2025 | $42M | $289M | -1168.1% |
Cousins Properties
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $755M | — | 65.4% |
| 2022 | $762M | $23M | 65.9% |
| 2023 | $803M | $89M | 66.1% |
| 2024 | $857M | $148M | 66.6% |
| 2025 | $994M | $135M | 67.8% |
Where the revenue comes from
COPT Defense Properties · by segments, 2025
Defense/IT Portfolio$647M90%
Other$75M10%
Cousins Properties · by products, 2025
Rental property revenues$981M99%
Other$11M1%
Fee income$2M0%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open CDP in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, COPT Defense Properties or Cousins Properties?
Cousins Properties (CUZ), at $4.4B against $3.9B.
Is CDP or CUZ cheaper?
By trailing P/E, COPT Defense Properties (24.4x) is cheaper than Cousins Properties (111.3x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, CDP or CUZ?
Cousins Properties: revenue grew +11.8% over the last year, against -45.7%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.