W. P. Carey Inc.

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): February 17, 2026

W. P. Carey Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:(212)492-1100

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company¨

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.¨

On February 17, 2026, W. P. Carey Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with BofA Securities, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as underwriters (collectively, the “Underwriters”), BofA Securities, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (in such capacities, the “Forward Sellers”) and Bank of America, N.A. and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association (in such capacities, the “Forward Purchasers”) in connection with an underwritten public offering (the “Offering”) of 6,000,000 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share (the “Common Stock”), at a price per share to the Underwriters of $71.38 (the “Purchase Price”). The Shares are offered by the Forward Sellers in connection with certain forward sale agreements described below. The gross proceeds from the offering are $432 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Underwriting Agreement, the Underwriters were granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 shares of Common Stock at the Purchase Price.

In connection with the Offering, the Company also entered into certain forward sale agreements (the “Forward Sale Agreements”) with the Forward Purchasers. In connection with such Forward Sale Agreements, the Forward Purchasers (or their respective affiliates) borrowed from third parties and sold to the Underwriters an aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of Common Stock that was sold in the Offering. The Company expects to physically settle the Forward Sale Agreements and receive proceeds, subject to certain adjustments, from the sale of those shares of its Common Stock upon one or more such physical settlements within approximately 24 months from the date of the prospectus supplement relating to the Offering. Although the Company expects to settle the Forward Sale Agreements entirely by the physical delivery of shares of Common Stock for cash proceeds, the Company may also elect to cash or net share settle all or a portion of its obligations under the Forward Sale Agreements, in which case, it may receive, or it may owe, cash or shares of Common Stock from or to the Forward Purchasers. The Forward Sale Agreements provide for an initial forward sale price of $71.38 per share, subject to certain adjustments pursuant to the terms of each of the Forward Sale Agreements. The Forward Sale Agreements are subject to early termination or settlement under certain circumstances.

The Offering closed on February 19, 2026 and was made pursuant to (i) the Company’s automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-286885) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 2025, and (ii) a final prospectus supplement relating to the Shares, dated as of February 17, 2026.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds, if any, received upon the settlement of the Forward Sale Agreements (and from the sale of any shares of its Common Stock that it may sell to the Underwriters in lieu of the Forward Purchasers (or their respective affiliates) selling shares of its Common Stock to the Underwriters) to fund potential future investments, to repay certain indebtedness (including amounts outstanding under its unsecured revolving credit facility), and for general corporate purposes.

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants of the Company, as well as certain customary indemnification provisions with respect to the Company, the Underwriters, the Forward Purchasers and the Forward Sellers relating to certain losses or damages arising out of or in connection with the consummation of the Offering.

The foregoing descriptions of the Underwriting Agreement and Forward Sale Agreements do not purport to be complete, and are qualified in their entirety by reference to Exhibits 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

On February 17, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the launch of the Offering (the “Launch Press Release”); on February 17, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of the Offering (the “Pricing Press Release”); and on February 19, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the closing of the Offering (the “Closing Press Release”). The foregoing descriptions of the Launch Press Release, the Pricing Press Release and the Closing Press Release are qualified in their entirety by reference to Exhibits 99.1, 99.2 and 99.3, respectively.

(d) Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.