There are just a handful of stocks with one-letter ticker symbols. Some are quite large, such as Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C), Ford Motor Company(NYSE:F), Kellogg (NYSE:K), AT&T (NYSE:T), and Visa (NYSE:V). Then there are some smaller relatively unknown companies like Dominion Resources(NYSE:D) and Barnes Group (NYSE:B).

Outside of simplicity, I’m not sure that a company with a one-letter ticker symbol has a competitive advantage, but it’s certainly easier to remember the stock when you know its ticker symbol.

One symbol that I know quite well is “O”, the ticker for Realty Income Corporation (NYSE:O).

Just like the other stocks I just cited, I’m not sure there’s a real competitive advantage for “O” based solely on the clever one-letter ticker symbol. However, there is a reason that Realty Income has become a force in the REIT sector and also as a valuable member of the S&P 500.

Remembering a clever ticker symbol doesn’t mean a lot if there’s no reason to invest in the company. The stock market affords virtually unlimited opportunities to invest in practically any business in the world, and if the company does not earn profits, it’s simply a waste of time and resources to invest in a one-, two-, three-, or four-letter ticker symbol.

So, what’s this big deal with “O”?

Well, this is the purpose of my article today, and by the time you finish reading, you should be able to memorize the ticker symbol in your sleep (at least that’s what I hope you will do).

Are All Net Lease REITs The Same?

I’m sure most of you have read some of my previous articles on Realty Income, and specifically, the over-used term “economic moat”. In this article, I will not bore you with the Buffett-enhanced term, but I will provide you with the “true secret” that differentiates Realty Income from most other companies.