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DLR or EQIX or IRM
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Digital Realty Trust (DLR) vs. Equinix (EQIX) vs. Iron Mountain (IRM) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- DLR, EQIX, and IRM have delivered strong year-to-date gains of approximately 28%, 42%, and 60%, respectively, fueled by AI-driven data center demand.
- All three reported robust Q1 2026 results, with revenue growth exceeding 10% year-over-year and raised full-year guidance, reflecting sustained leasing momentum.
- EQIX leads in market cap at over $106 billion and interconnection focus, while IRM offers the highest dividend yield around 2.6% amid rapid expansion.
- Recent analyst upgrades and price target increases signal positive market sentiment across the trio, with contrasts in pure-play data center exposure versus diversified services.
- Core FFO (funds from operations) and AFFO (adjusted funds from operations) growth highlights operational strength, with DLR at $2.04 per share and raised 2026 outlook to $8.00-$8.10.
Introduction
DLR, EQIX, and IRM are leading real estate investment trusts (REITs) with significant exposure to data centers, a sector propelled by surging demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure and cloud computing. This stock comparison evaluates their recent performance, business models, and market positioning in the current environment. Investors seeking income through dividends or growth via AI-related catalysts, as well as traders monitoring relative performance and sector momentum, will find these insights valuable for assessing opportunities in data center real estate.
DLR Overview and Recent Performance
Digital Realty Trust (DLR), a global REIT, owns and operates over 300 data centers, providing colocation and interconnection services to hyperscalers and enterprises. In recent market activity, DLR shares have advanced around 28% year-to-date, supported by Q1 2026 results showing 16% revenue growth to $1.64 billion and core FFO (funds from operations) of $2.04 per share, surpassing expectations. The company raised its full-year core FFO guidance to $8.00-$8.10 per share, driven by strong leasing activity, AI demand, and renewal spreads of 5.0% on a cash basis. Positive analyst updates, including raised price targets, have bolstered sentiment amid a robust development pipeline exceeding 6 gigawatts in potential capacity.
EQIX Overview and Recent Performance
Equinix (EQIX) operates a network of over 260 interconnected data centers worldwide, specializing in colocation and ecosystem connectivity for digital leaders. Recent weeks have seen EQIX outperform with approximately 42% year-to-date gains, reflecting Q1 2026 revenue of $2.44 billion, up 10% year-over-year, and AFFO (adjusted funds from operations) per share of $10.79. Record bookings of $378 million annualized and a 51% adjusted EBITDA margin prompted a raised full-year outlook, including AFFO per share of $42.31-$43.11. AI workloads now comprise a significant portion of deals, enhancing sentiment alongside global expansions and upward analyst revisions.
IRM Overview and Recent Performance
Iron Mountain (IRM), a REIT focused on information management, has pivoted toward data centers and asset lifecycle management alongside records storage. The stock has surged about 60% year-to-date, propelled by Q1 2026 revenue of $1.94 billion, a 22% increase, and AFFO of $1.43 per share, up 22%. Organic growth hit 17%, the highest in over 25 years, with data center leasing adding 22 megawatts. Guidance was lifted to $7.83-$7.93 billion in revenue and AFFO per share of $5.79-$5.86, supported by strong renewals and digital services expansion, fostering optimistic market positioning.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
DLR emphasizes hyperscale data centers for cloud giants, contrasting EQIX's interconnection hubs that foster enterprise ecosystems, and IRM's hybrid model blending storage with emerging powered infrastructure. Growth drivers converge on AI demand, but IRM shows the fastest recent revenue pace at 22%, versus 16% for DLR and 10% for EQIX. Momentum favors IRM and EQIX with superior YTD returns, though all exhibit rate sensitivity as REITs amid interest rate fluctuations. Valuation trade-offs include IRM's higher P/E around 145 but attractive 2.6% yield, DLR's balanced P/FFO near 25 at a 2.5% yield, and EQIX's premium 75 P/E reflecting ecosystem moat. Sentiment tilts toward pure data center plays like DLR and EQIX, balanced by IRM's diversification.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors EQIX based on superior trend consistency, leading YTD performance, record bookings, and interconnection leadership amid AI expansion. Its raised AFFO guidance and 51% EBITDA margin signal stability and catalysts, positioning it strongly relative to peers. However, DLR and IRM offer compelling alternatives for hyperscale focus and diversified growth, respectively, with probabilities enhanced by ongoing sector tailwinds.
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. Disclaimers and Limitations
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 undervalued. 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 0 FA rating(s) are green whileEQIX’s FA Score has 0 green FA rating(s), and IRM’s FA Score reflects 3 green FA rating(s).
- DLR’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- EQIX’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- IRM’s FA Score: 3 green, 2 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 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while EQIX’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and IRM’s TA Score reflects 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- DLR’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- EQIX’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 4 bearish.
- IRM’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
DLR (@Specialty Telecommunications) experienced а -4.60% price change this week, while EQIX (@Specialty Telecommunications) price change was -2.98% , and IRM (@Specialty Telecommunications) price fluctuated -2.13% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Specialty Telecommunications industry was -1.79%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.49%, and the average quarterly price growth was +9.87%.
Reported Earning Dates
DLR is expected to report earnings on Jul 23, 2026.
EQIX is expected to report earnings on Jul 29, 2026.
IRM is expected to report earnings on Jul 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Specialty Telecommunications (-1.79% 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.
| DLR | EQIX | IRM | |
| Capitalization | 65.5B | 103B | 36.8B |
| EBITDA | 3.82B | 4.27B | 2.32B |
| Gain YTD | 21.226 | 37.588 | 50.123 |
| P/E Ratio | 49.41 | 72.51 | 134.26 |
| Revenue | 6.34B | 9.44B | 7.25B |
| Total Cash | 2.43B | 3.05B | 251M |
| Total Debt | 19.2B | 23.3B | 19.4B |
DLR | EQIX | IRM | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 55 | 65 | 74 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 67 Overvalued | 77 Overvalued | 98 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 54 | 42 | 26 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 81 | 70 | 2 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 51 | 44 | 24 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 98 | 71 | 90 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 34 |
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.
DLR's Valuation (67) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as EQIX (77) and is in the same range as IRM (98). This means that DLR's stock grew similarly to EQIX’s and similarly to IRM’s over the last 12 months.
IRM's Profit vs Risk Rating (26) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as EQIX (42) and is in the same range as DLR (54). This means that IRM's stock grew similarly to EQIX’s and similarly to 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 EQIX (70) and is significantly better than the same rating for DLR (81). This means that IRM's stock grew significantly faster than EQIX’s and significantly faster than DLR’s over the last 12 months.
IRM's Price Growth Rating (24) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as EQIX (44) and is in the same range as DLR (51). This means that IRM's stock grew similarly to EQIX’s and similarly to DLR’s over the last 12 months.
EQIX's P/E Growth Rating (71) in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry is in the same range as IRM (90) and is in the same range as DLR (98). This means that EQIX's stock grew similarly to IRM’s and similarly to DLR’s over the last 12 months.
| DLR | EQIX | IRM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 85% | 1 day ago 50% | 1 day ago 69% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 67% | 1 day ago 67% | 1 day ago 69% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 44% | 1 day ago 42% | 1 day ago 55% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 53% | 1 day ago 49% | 1 day ago 50% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 50% | 1 day ago 58% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 60% | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 70% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 65% | 10 days ago 57% | 10 days ago 71% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 59% | 8 days ago 54% | 1 day ago 55% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 70% | 1 day ago 63% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 57% | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 62% |
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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 69% 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.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To DLR | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLR | 100% | -1.18% | ||
| IRM - DLR | 69% Closely correlated | -0.35% | ||
| DBRG - DLR | 68% Closely correlated | N/A | ||
| EQIX - DLR | 60% Loosely correlated | -1.34% | ||
| SPG - DLR | 51% Loosely correlated | +0.22% | ||
| MAC - DLR | 47% Loosely correlated | +0.27% | ||
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EQIX and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, EQIX has been loosely correlated with DBRG. These tickers have moved in lockstep 63% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if EQIX jumps, then DBRG could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To EQIX | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EQIX | 100% | -1.34% | ||
| DBRG - EQIX | 63% Loosely correlated | N/A | ||
| ELS - EQIX | 62% Loosely correlated | +1.24% | ||
| EGP - EQIX | 61% Loosely correlated | +0.08% | ||
| DLR - EQIX | 59% Loosely correlated | -1.18% | ||
| PLD - EQIX | 53% Loosely correlated | +0.09% | ||
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