Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) vs Realty Income Corporation (O)

A side-by-side comparison of Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Realty Income Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 11, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

Compare

Total returnDLR vs O

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y
DLR +178.3% (+10.8%/yr)O +46.2% (+3.9%/yr)DLR compounded faster over this window
100150200250300Start $10020182020202220242026$278$146
DLR O

DLR vs O: by the numbers

  • DLR is the larger company ($69.77B vs $55.48B market cap).
  • O pays the higher dividend yield (5.44% vs 2.63%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricDLRO
P/E ratio91.1043.43
Forward P/E69.6339.13
P/S ratio10.19N/A
P/B ratio2.541.40
EV / EBITDA26.75N/A
FCF yield1.96%3.93%

For REITs like Digital Realty Trust, Inc., GAAP P/E is distorted: heavy non-cash property depreciation depresses reported earnings and overstates the multiple. Real-estate companies are valued on funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) and price-to-FFO — see the Funds From Operations section. The P/E is shown for reference only.

For REITs like Realty Income Corporation, GAAP P/E is distorted: heavy non-cash property depreciation depresses reported earnings and overstates the multiple. Real-estate companies are valued on funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) and price-to-FFO — see the Funds From Operations section. The P/E is shown for reference only.

Profitability

MetricDLRO
Gross margin55.39%N/A
Operating margin17.87%N/A
Net margin11.67%N/A
ROE2.91%N/A
ROIC2.25%N/A

Dividends

MetricDLRO
Dividend yield2.63%5.44%
Payout ratio235.75%236.57%

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.'s payout ratio is measured against GAAP earnings, which non-cash depreciation depresses for REITs — the dividend is conventionally assessed against funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) instead, so the GAAP figure overstates the payout burden.

Realty Income Corporation's payout ratio is measured against GAAP earnings, which non-cash depreciation depresses for REITs — the dividend is conventionally assessed against funds from operations (FFO / AFFO) instead, so the GAAP figure overstates the payout burden.

Growth (annualized)

MetricDLRO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.91%N/A
EPS CAGR (5Y)29.87%0.35%
FCF CAGR (5Y)12.36%13.20%
Total return CAGR (5Y)7.20%3.31%

Frequently asked

Does DLR or O pay a bigger dividend?
DLR yields 2.63% and O yields 5.44% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
How have DLR and O total returns compared?
Over the past 10 years, DLR delivered 10.50% and O delivered 4.46% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 11, 2026.