DLR vs PSA: how the two businesses compare

  • Bigger business: DLR, with $6.1B of yearly revenue, about 1.3× PSA's $4.8B.
  • More profitable: PSA keeps 37 cents of each sales dollar as profit, against 21 cents at DLR.
  • More cash from each sale: PSA turns 66 cents of each sales dollar into operating cash flow, against 39 cents at DLR.

From each company's latest annual SEC filing. Fiscal years can end on different dates.

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) is the larger business by reported revenue: $6.1B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.3× PSA's $4.8B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). DLR's net margin was 21.5% and PSA's 37.0%. Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 6798 (Real Estate Investment Trusts).

Figures come from each company's own SEC filings. This page compares the businesses; it is not a price target or a verdict.

Sector
Real Estate
SEC industry
Real Estate Investment Trusts
Same classification
Fiscal year ends
December 31
Same calendar
Reviewed
Feb 13, 2026

DLR vs PSA: quick comparison

Company factDLRPSA
CompanyDigital Realty Trust, Inc.Public Storage
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Headquarters—Glendale, California
Founded—1972
SEC industryReal Estate Investment TrustsReal Estate Investment Trusts
Fiscal year-endDecember 31December 31
Latest annual filing10-K · 2026-02-1310-K · 2026-02-12

DLR vs PSA: audited financials

  • Scale: DLR's $6.1B of revenue is about 1.3× PSA's $4.8B.
  • Net margin: PSA kept 37.0% of revenue as net income versus 21.5% at DLR.
  • Cash flow: operating cash flow is left out of this reading because lending, deposit, and trading balances run through it at banks, brokers, and insurers, so it does not measure earnings quality the way it does for an operating company.
  • Periods: both fiscal years end on 2025-12-31, so these annual figures cover the same months.

DLR: FY ending 2025-12-31 · PSA: FY ending 2025-12-31. Figures as tagged in each issuer's SEC XBRL filing; fiscal calendars may not align.

Where DLR and PSA overlap, and where they don't

Overlap

  • Same SEC industry: both report under SIC 6798, Real Estate Investment Trusts.
  • Shared research theme: Rates & central banks.
  • Same fiscal calendar: both fiscal years end December 31.

Differences

  • Only DLR maps to Artificial intelligence.
  • Profitability: net margin of 21.5% for DLR versus 37.0% for PSA.

Overlap is drawn from SEC classifications and Yield Theory research themes. It is not evidence that the companies sell to the same customers or compete product for product.

Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR)

Digital Realty owns and operates data centers that support cloud computing and AI workloads.

Public Storage (PSA)

Public Storage is the largest owner and operator of self-storage facilities in the United States. Its flexible month-to-month leases let it reprice rents quickly as demand shifts.

What moves each company

Company-specific drivers maintained by Yield Theory. Use them to decide which filing deserves deeper work; they are not predictions.

What moves DLR

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for DLR. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-13.

What moves PSA

We have not yet published a company-specific driver list for PSA. The primary source is Item 1 (Business) and Item 1A (Risk Factors) of its 10-K filed 2026-02-12.

The investment question

You now know DLR reports about 1.3× PSA's revenue, and PSA keeps more of each dollar as net income. Those are the facts. The investment question is what each share price already assumes about their exposure to rates & central banks, and which evidence in the next filings would prove that assumption wrong.

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SEC filing comparison and disclosure evidence

Start with primary filings because fiscal calendars and accounting presentation can make superficially similar quarters incomparable. Both fiscal years end December 31, so annual reports line up, but check segment definitions before comparing growth or margins.

The current verified House and Senate snapshot contains 4 matched transaction rows for DLR and 5 matched transaction rows for PSA. These delayed, range-based disclosures can identify a filing to inspect; they do not establish motive, conviction, or a real-time trading signal.

What this comparison cannot tell you

This page does not contain licensed live prices, a valuation model, earnings estimates, portfolio constraints, or a forecast of future returns. SEC classifications can be broad, company descriptions can lag strategic change, and the latest annual filing may predate a material acquisition or divestiture. Read subsequent quarterly and current reports before making a decision.

A stronger business is not automatically the better stock. Starting valuation, expectations, capital structure, cyclicality, dilution, and the probability of each thesis determine the investment outcome. Use this comparison to frame the work, then verify the numbers in the linked filings and current company disclosures.

DLR vs PSA FAQs

Are DLR and PSA direct competitors?

Digital Realty Trust and Public Storage share the SEC industry classification “Real Estate Investment Trusts.” That makes the operating comparison relevant, but it does not prove that every product, customer, or revenue stream competes directly.

Is DLR or PSA the bigger company by revenue?

Digital Realty Trust (DLR) is the larger business by reported revenue: $6.1B in its fiscal year ended Dec 2025, about 1.3× PSA's $4.8B (fiscal year ended Dec 2025). DLR's net margin was 21.5% and PSA's 37.0%. Both file with the SEC under the same industry code, SIC 6798 (Real Estate Investment Trusts). Each figure is the annual amount tagged in the company's own SEC XBRL filing; market value depends on live prices, which this page does not publish.

Which is better, DLR or PSA?

There is no context-free winner. Compare the operating exposures, filing evidence, valuation, balance sheet, and risks against the specific thesis you are testing. This page deliberately does not turn a static profile into a buy or sell recommendation.

Does this DLR vs PSA comparison include live prices?

No. Yield Theory does not republish unlicensed real-time market data. The financial figures on this page are the audited annual numbers Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Public Storage tagged in their SEC XBRL filings. Use a regulated broker or licensed quote provider for current prices and valuation multiples.

Where does the company information come from?

Company classifications, fiscal year-ends, and filing links come from the SEC EDGAR submissions API snapshot refreshed 2026-11-09. Business summaries and research themes are maintained by Yield Theory.

Data snapshot: SEC EDGAR submissions API, refreshed 2026-11-09. Independent educational research; not investment advice.

Which business differences matter to the investment thesis?

DLR vs PSA compares reported results. The reports below show how we connect operating evidence to an investment thesis, its assumptions, catalysts, and risks. $39/month or $249/year.

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