DLR vs. EXR: Digital Realty Trust vs. Extra Space Storage Stock Comparison

Company Profile

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) and Extra Space Storage (EXR) both belong to the Specialized REITs industry, though DLR is classified under Data Center REITs while EXR falls under Self-Storage REITs.

Both Digital Realty Trust (DLR) and Extra Space Storage (EXR) are REITs — read their payout ratios and P/E alongside FFO (funds from operations) rather than at face value.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Both Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 3.34% and Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 7.71% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

Neither Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Extra Space Storage (EXR) 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.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) and Extra Space Storage (EXR) 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

Growth

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 10.04% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 3.70% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for DLR.

EPS growth isn't a meaningful figure for either Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Extra Space Storage (EXR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) under our convention.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 0.87 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 0.58 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for DLR.

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 0.69 keeps leverage in the lower industry quartile, while Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 1.03 runs a more typical debt-to-equity mix.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 4.05% pays a yield in its industry’s typical range, while Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 2.79% falls in the bottom quartile of its peers.

An earnings-based payout ratio fits neither Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) nor Extra Space Storage (EXR) 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

Valuation

P/E ratio is not a meaningful valuation yardstick for either Digital Realty Trust (DLR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) or Extra Space Storage (EXR) in Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs): depreciation suppresses reported earnings in their businesses, and price-to-FFO is the conventional yardstick instead.

Both Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 9.47 and Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 9.86 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) at 2.39 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Extra Space Storage (EXR) at 2.59 carries an above-peer premium to book — EXR is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics