Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR)
Digital Realty is a global landlord that owns and operates the massive, secure buildings that house the servers powering the internet and cloud computing.
Is Digital Realty Trust, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Digital Realty is a global landlord that owns and operates the massive, secure buildings that house the servers powering the internet and cloud computing.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only - reinvesting the dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Digital Realty becomes the primary infrastructure provider for the AI economy.
Technological shifts make current data centre designs obsolete.
What does Digital Realty Trust, Inc. do?
Think of Digital Realty as a high-tech property developer; instead of offices or shops, they build and manage 'data centres' where companies like tech giants and banks store their digital information. Its profits come from leasing this space, along with the necessary power and cooling systems, to clients on long-term contracts. What really moves the needle here is how they manage the massive electricity costs and capital investment required to keep these facilities running as the demand for AI and cloud services grows.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on momentum and quality, and weakest on value.
- ✓Pays a dividend - about 2.6% a year
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 30% over the year
- !High P/E of 94 - big growth is already priced in
- Essential infrastructure for the modern digital economy
- Strong revenue growth driven by cloud demand
- Reliable income stream through dividend payments
- Value screens low (16/100)
- Massive energy consumption makes them sensitive to electricity price spikes
- Potential for oversupply of data centre space in certain regions
- Rapid changes in server technology could require costly facility upgrades
What do Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Digital Realty Trust, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Digital Realty Trust, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes - Digital Realty Trust, Inc. currently pays a dividend of about 2.6% a year (the yearly payout as a share of the price). A dividend is a slice of profit handed to shareholders; the yield moves as the price moves, and a company can cut or stop it.
When does Digital Realty Trust, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-10-22 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-23 | $0.73 | $0.62 | Missed -15% |
| 2026-04-23 | $0.45 | $0.46 | Beat +3% |
| 2026-02-05 | $0.39 | $0.40 | Beat +2% |
| 2025-10-23 | $0.23 | $0.34 | Beat +47% |
| 2025-07-24 | $0.31 | $0.39 | Beat +26% |
| 2025-04-24 | $0.24 | $0.38 | Beat +59% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 5 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Welltower Inc.What are the scenarios for Digital Realty Trust, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Digital Realty Trust, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Essential infrastructure for the modern digital economy
- Strong revenue growth driven by cloud demand
- Reliable income stream through dividend payments
- High gross margins indicate efficient operations
- High valuation multiples suggest high expectations
- Significant debt required to fund expensive building projects
- Vulnerable to rising interest rates which increase borrowing costs
- Massive energy consumption makes them sensitive to electricity price spikes
- Potential for oversupply of data centre space in certain regions
- Rapid changes in server technology could require costly facility upgrades
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained decline in global cloud computing spending
- A major shift in how data is stored that bypasses traditional data centres
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.