CCI vs. IRM: Crown Castle vs. Iron Mountain Stock Comparison
How do Crown Castle (CCI) and Iron Mountain (IRM) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Crown Castle (CCI) and Iron Mountain (IRM) both belong to the Specialized REITs industry, though CCI is classified under Telecom Tower REITs while IRM falls under Other Specialized REITs.
Both Crown Castle (CCI) and Iron Mountain (IRM) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.
| Profile Item | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Crown Castle Inc. | Iron Mountain Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Real Estate | Real Estate |
| GICS Industry Group | Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) | Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) |
| GICS Industry | Specialized REITs | Specialized REITs |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Telecom Tower REITs | Other Specialized REITs |
| Market Capitalization | 37.70 billion USD | 31.73 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 18, 1998 | February 1, 1996 |
| Security Type | REIT | REIT |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | 3.98% | 12.13% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 2.86% | 28.29% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | -8.91% | 23.46% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 35.72% | 35.33% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.88 | 1.19 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -59.72% | -39.03% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 4.10M | 1.52M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.01 | 0.22 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.01 | 0.31 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Neither Crown Castle (CCI) nor Iron Mountain (IRM) reports a ROE value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 22.74%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
- CCI
- --
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 22.74%
- Q3
- 10.54%
- Median
- 6.38%
- Q1
- 1.69%
- Min
- -10.86%
- IRM
- --
Net Margin (TTM)
Neither Crown Castle (CCI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Iron Mountain (IRM) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) is well served by net margin: heavy depreciation makes net income a poor profitability proxy in their businesses, where FFO-based measures are the standard read.
Operating Margin (TTM)
Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Crown Castle (CCI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Iron Mountain (IRM) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | -- | -- |
| ROA (TTM) | 4.69% | 4.72% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Iron Mountain (IRM) at 12.23% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Crown Castle (CCI) at -4.39% is in the bottom quartile, showing a clear gap in revenue momentum.
EPS Growth
EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either Crown Castle (CCI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Iron Mountain (IRM) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | -4.39% | 12.23% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | -15.17% | 10.58% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | -- | -- |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | -- | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Crown Castle (CCI) at 0.23 and Iron Mountain (IRM) at 0.56 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
0.23
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.11
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- CCI
- 0.23
- Min
- 0.06
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
0.56
- Max
- 4.19
- Q3
- 2.11
- Median
- 1.31
- Q1
- 0.62
- IRM
- 0.56
- Min
- 0.06
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
Neither Crown Castle (CCI) nor Iron Mountain (IRM) reports a debt-to-equity ratio value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
- CCI
- --
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
--
- Max
- 2.72
- Q3
- 1.59
- Median
- 0.99
- Q1
- 0.72
- Min
- 0.20
- IRM
- --
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 0.23 | 0.56 |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 8.61 | 7.69 |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Crown Castle (CCI) at 4.67% and Iron Mountain (IRM) at 3.28% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.67%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- CCI
- 4.67%
- Median
- 4.34%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
3.28%
- Max
- 8.62%
- Q3
- 5.95%
- Median
- 4.34%
- IRM
- 3.28%
- Q1
- 3.26%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
An earnings-based payout ratio fits neither Crown Castle (CCI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Iron Mountain (IRM) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): their distributions are mandated and conventionally measured against FFO, so the accounting-earnings ratio overstates both.
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 4.67% | 3.28% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either Crown Castle (CCI) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Iron Mountain (IRM) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): depreciation suppresses reported earnings in their businesses, and price-to-FFO is the conventional yardstick instead.
P/S Ratio (TTM)
Iron Mountain (IRM) at 4.07 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Crown Castle (CCI) at 9.23 sits in the pricier quartile — CCI costs more per dollar of sales.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
9.23
- Max
- 14.47
- CCI
- 9.23
- Q3
- 8.02
- Median
- 5.98
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 0.43
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
4.07
- Max
- 14.47
- Q3
- 8.02
- Median
- 5.98
- IRM
- 4.07
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 0.43
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Crown Castle (CCI) at -11.02 and Iron Mountain (IRM) at -22.85 report negative P/B ratio values, meaning both companies have negative book equity — neither multiple is meaningful for valuation.
CCI
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
-11.02
- Max
- 4.06
- Q3
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
- CCI
- -11.02
IRM
Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) industry group
-22.85
- Max
- 4.06
- Q3
- 2.53
- Median
- 1.64
- Q1
- 1.06
- Min
- 0.21
- IRM
- -22.85
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | CCI | IRM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | -- | -- |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 9.23 | 4.07 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | -11.02 | -22.85 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |