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DLR vs IRM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Digital Realty (DLR) vs. Iron Mountain (IRM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Digital Realty (DLR) is a pure-play data center REIT (real estate investment trust) riding record hyperscale and AI-driven leasing demand, while Iron Mountain (IRM) pairs a legacy records-storage business with fast-growing data center, digital, and asset lifecycle management segments.
- Both companies reported double-digit revenue growth in recent quarters and raised their full-year 2026 guidance.
- IRM has delivered stronger recent growth percentages across its newer segments, but DLR offers a more concentrated exposure to the AI data center theme.
- Both names carry substantial debt loads tied to capital-intensive expansion, making financing conditions a key risk factor.
- Analyst sentiment is broadly positive on both, though DLR trades with a higher price-to-FFO (funds from operations) multiple than IRM.
Introduction
Investors seeking exposure to digital infrastructure often weigh two very different paths: a dedicated data center operator and a diversified information-management giant expanding into data centers. This stock comparison examines DLR (Digital Realty) and IRM (Iron Mountain) across business model, growth drivers, momentum, and risk. Both are REITs benefiting from rising demand for AI computing capacity, but their relative performance and market positioning diverge in meaningful ways. Growth-oriented traders evaluating momentum and catalysts, as well as income-focused investors comparing yield and stability, may find this comparison useful for understanding where each name stands in the current market environment.
DLR Overview and Recent Performance
DLR, Digital Realty Trust, is the world's largest cloud- and carrier-neutral data center platform, operating facilities across the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa. Its business centers on leasing data center capacity, colocation, and interconnection services to cloud providers, enterprises, and hyperscale customers.
Recent market activity has reflected accelerating leasing momentum. In recent quarters, Digital Realty reported record interconnection leasing and signed the largest hyperscale lease in company history, driving double-digit growth in Core FFO (funds from operations) per share. The company raised its 2026 Core FFO outlook and pointed to a record signed-but-not-commenced backlog approaching $1.9 billion, alongside cash rental rate increases on renewals and rising portfolio occupancy. These fundamentals have supported a notable share-price advance over the past month, though the stock's performance has at times been sensitive to broader AI-demand headlines and concerns about capital-market conditions given its sizable development pipeline and debt load.
IRM Overview and Recent Performance
IRM, Iron Mountain, is a global leader in information management services serving more than 240,000 customers. Its traditional Global Records and Information Management business provides highly recurring storage revenue, while its growth businesses—data centers, digital solutions, and asset lifecycle management (ALM)—have become the primary engines of expansion.
In recent quarters, Iron Mountain delivered record results, with total revenue growing roughly 18% to 20% year over year and its data center, digital, and ALM segments collectively growing more than 50%. Data center revenue advanced sharply, and the company increased its full-year 2026 guidance for revenue and AFFO (adjusted funds from operations) per share. Despite this operational strength, IRM's share price has pulled back over the past month and trailing quarter even as it remains sharply higher year to date, reflecting a period of profit-taking after a multi-year rally and ongoing debate over whether AI-related upside is already reflected in the valuation.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
The sharpest contrast between the two names lies in business-model composition. DLR offers nearly pure exposure to data center and interconnection demand, which magnifies both its upside to AI-related capacity needs and its sensitivity to capital spending and financing conditions. IRM, by contrast, balances high-growth data center and ALM segments against a stable, cash-generative records-storage base, creating a more diversified revenue mix.
On momentum, both companies have posted strong revenue and funds-from-operations growth and raised guidance, but their share-price behavior has diverged: DLR has gained ground in recent weeks, while IRM has consolidated after an extended rally. Valuation also differs, with DLR carrying a richer price-to-FFO multiple than IRM, reflecting its more concentrated data center profile. Risk profiles overlap on leverage—both carry substantial debt—while IRM adds exposure to gradual paper-records decline and foreign-currency swings, and DLR faces execution risk around a large development pipeline.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors, Tickeron's AI would likely lean toward DLR in the current environment, given its more consistent recent upward price trend, record backlog, and direct alignment with the strongest near-term data center catalysts. IRM retains compelling fundamentals and diversification, but its recent price consolidation and richer AI-related debate introduce more mixed momentum signals. This assessment reflects trend consistency, catalyst visibility, and relative positioning rather than a definitive forecast, and outcomes remain subject to shifting market and financing conditions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is DLR is a Hold and IRM is a Hold.
DLR in upward trend: price expected to rise as it breaks its lower Bollinger Band on October 14, 2026
DLR may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options. In 27 of 37 cases where DLR's price broke its lower Bollinger Band, its price rose further in the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 73%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. 38 of 58 cases where DLR's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are 66%.
Following a +2.25% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where DLR advanced for three days, in 202 of 314 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 64%.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on October 14, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on DLR as a result. In 45 of 82 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 55%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for DLR turned negative on October 14, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 30 of the 48 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 62%.
DLR moved below its 50-day moving average on September 14, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for DLR crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on September 11, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 7 of 13 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 54%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where DLR declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 62%.
The Aroon Indicator for DLR entered a downward trend on October 16, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 6 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to outstanding earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 56 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. DLR’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 63 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 79, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 85 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 87 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 99 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (2.445) is normal, around the industry mean (1.818). DLR's P/E Ratio (81.847) is considerably higher than the industry average of (27.278). DLR's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (11.445) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (2.612). Dividend Yield (0.028) settles around the average of (0.043) among similar stocks. DLR's P/S Ratio (9.461) is slightly higher than the industry average of (5.594).
IRM saw its Stochastic Oscillator leaves the overbought zone
The Stochastic Oscillator for IRM moved out of overbought territory on October 09, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock and investors may want to consider selling or taking a defensive position. A.I.dvisor looked at 59 similar instances where the indicator exited the overbought zone. In 36 of the 59 cases the stock moved lower. This puts the odds of a downward move at 61%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on October 16, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on IRM as a result. In 49 of 89 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 55%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where IRM declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 56%.
IRM broke above its upper Bollinger Band on September 22, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Aroon Indicator for IRM entered a downward trend on October 12, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for IRM just turned positive on October 02, 2026. Looking at past instances where IRM's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 32 of 44 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 73%.
Following a +1.88% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where IRM advanced for three days, in 261 of 372 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 70%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 2 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 28 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 79, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 55 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating steady price growth. IRM’s price grows at a higher rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 59 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: IRM's P/B Ratio (-26.149) is very low in comparison to the industry average of (1.818). IRM has a moderately high P/E Ratio (79.794) as compared to the industry average of (27.278). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.100) is also within normal values, averaging (2.612). Dividend Yield (0.031) settles around the average of (0.043) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (4.448) is also within normal values, averaging (5.594).
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 96 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
DLR | IRM | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 12 | 87 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 99 Overvalued | 59 Fair valued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 63 | 28 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 87 | 2 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 56 | 55 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 6 | 96 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 85 | 44 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
IRM's Valuation (59) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DLR (99). This means that IRM’s stock grew somewhat faster than DLR’s over the last 12 months.
IRM's Profit vs Risk Rating (28) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DLR (63). This means that IRM’s stock grew somewhat faster than DLR’s over the last 12 months.
IRM's SMR Rating (2) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is significantly better than the same rating for DLR (87). This means that IRM’s stock grew significantly faster than DLR’s over the last 12 months.
IRM's Price Growth Rating (55) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as DLR (56). This means that IRM’s stock grew similarly to DLR’s over the last 12 months.
DLR's P/E Growth Rating (6) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is significantly better than the same rating for IRM (96). This means that DLR’s stock grew significantly faster than IRM’s over the last 12 months.
| DLR | IRM | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | N/A | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 66% | 4 days ago 61% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 55% | 4 days ago 55% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 63% | 4 days ago 73% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 59% | 4 days ago 59% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 64% | 4 days ago 69% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 64% | 8 days ago 70% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 62% | 6 days ago 56% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 73% | 4 days ago 60% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 72% | 4 days ago 59% |
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is overvalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
DLR’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green while IRM’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- DLR’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- IRM’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
DLR’s TA Score shows that 3 TA indicator(s) are bullish while IRM’s TA Score has 2 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DLR’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 6 bearish.
- IRM’s TA Score: 2 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
DLR (@Specialty Telecommunications) experienced а -1.56% price change this week, while IRM (@Specialty Telecommunications) price change was -1.75% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Specialty Telecommunications industry was -3.04%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -5.63%, and the average quarterly price growth was -10.16%.
Reported Earning Dates
DLR is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
IRM is expected to report earnings on Oct 29, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Specialty Telecommunications (-3.04% weekly)Companies belonging to the specialty telecommunications sector provide voice and data transmission via a single method, such as fixed lines, digital subscriber lines (DSL), wireless technology, the internet or competitive local exchange carriers. Telefonica, Liberty Broadband Corp., and Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. are some of the big specialty telecom companies in the U.S.
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DLR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DLR has been closely correlated with IRM. These tickers have moved in lockstep 70% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if DLR jumps, then IRM could also see price increases.
IRM and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, IRM has been closely correlated with DLR. These tickers have moved in lockstep 70% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if IRM jumps, then DLR could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To IRM | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IRM | 100% | -0.85% | ||
| DLR - IRM | 70% Closely correlated | -1.69% | ||
| CSR - IRM | 63% Loosely correlated | -2.09% | ||
| EQIX - IRM | 63% Loosely correlated | -1.04% | ||
| KIM - IRM | 57% Loosely correlated | -0.96% | ||
| DBRG - IRM | 57% Loosely correlated | N/A | ||
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