Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX – Free Report) by 15.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 247,129 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 33,587 shares during the quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership owned approximately 0.25% of Equinix worth $242,246,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in Equinix by 28.9% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 326 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $307,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC grew its stake in Equinix by 11.5% during the first quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 522 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $425,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Equinix by 21.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 3,050 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,487,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the period. Schnieders Capital Management LLC. acquired a new position in Equinix in the second quarter valued at approximately $231,000. Finally, Brown Advisory Inc. lifted its stake in Equinix by 2.8% in the second quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 1,074 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $854,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. 94.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Equinix from $1,123.00 to $1,143.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of Equinix from $894.00 to $1,015.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Equinix from $1,050.00 to $1,120.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Cantor Fitzgerald boosted their target price on Equinix from $1,173.00 to $1,186.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Equinix from $1,240.00 to $1,260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,153.79.
Read Our Latest Research Report on EQIX
Equinix Stock Performance NASDAQ:EQIX opened at $1,084.24 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a current ratio of 1.18. Equinix, Inc. has a 52-week low of $720.62 and a 52-week high of $1,128.68. The firm has a market cap of $106.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 75.03, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.98. The business’s fifty day moving average is $1,056.85 and its 200 day moving average is $986.34.
Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $10.79 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.30 by $6.49. Equinix had a return on equity of 10.03% and a net margin of 15.07%.The business had revenue of $2.44 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $9.67 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equinix has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.310-43.110 EPS. Research analysts predict that Equinix, Inc. will post 38.25 EPS for the current year.
Equinix Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th were given a $5.16 dividend. This represents a $20.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. Equinix’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 142.84%.
Insiders Place Their Bets In other Equinix news, EVP Raouf Abdel sold 2,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.47, for a total value of $2,210,278.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,206,116.16. The trade was a 26.26% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles J. Meyers sold 5,224 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,085.23, for a total transaction of $5,669,241.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 7,370 shares in the company, valued at $7,998,145.10. The trade was a 41.48% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 11,115 shares of company stock valued at $12,022,574 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.
About Equinix (Free Report)
Equinix, Inc is a global provider of digital infrastructure and interconnection services, specializing in carrier-neutral data centers and colocation. The company operates a platform that enables enterprises, cloud and network service providers, and content companies to colocate IT infrastructure, interconnect directly with partners and providers, and access cloud on-ramps and network services in a secure, low-latency environment.
Equinix’s offerings include traditional colocation space and power, cross-connects and meet-me rooms, and a suite of connectivity and on-demand services designed for hybrid multicloud architectures.
Featured Articles Five stocks we like better than Equinix AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits
Receive News & Ratings for Equinix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Bank of Nova Scotia raised its stake in Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX – Free Report) by 26.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 28,212 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,901 shares during the quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia’s holdings in Equinix were worth $27,655,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Equinix in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $984,355,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Equinix by 408.1% in the 3rd quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 1,186,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $929,312,000 after buying an additional 953,001 shares during the period. Cohen & Steers Inc. grew its position in shares of Equinix by 23.3% during the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 2,609,011 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,998,978,000 after buying an additional 493,141 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in shares of Equinix by 30.0% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,094,808 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $838,798,000 after buying an additional 252,964 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in Equinix by 709.3% during the fourth quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 286,288 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $219,342,000 after acquiring an additional 250,914 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.94% of the company’s stock.
Equinix Price Performance NASDAQ EQIX opened at $1,084.24 on Friday. Equinix, Inc. has a 12-month low of $720.62 and a 12-month high of $1,128.68. The company has a market capitalization of $106.93 billion, a PE ratio of 75.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.98. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $1,056.85 and its 200-day moving average is $986.34. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39.
Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $10.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.30 by $6.49. The business had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.52 billion. Equinix had a net margin of 15.07% and a return on equity of 10.03%. Equinix’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $9.67 earnings per share. Equinix has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.310-43.110 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Equinix, Inc. will post 38.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Equinix Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were paid a $5.16 dividend. This represents a $20.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 20th. Equinix’s dividend payout ratio is presently 142.84%.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages have commented on EQIX. Mizuho lifted their target price on Equinix from $1,165.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. HSBC raised their price target on Equinix from $1,100.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Truist Financial set a $1,215.00 price objective on Equinix in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,200.00 price target on shares of Equinix in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Equinix from $1,075.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,153.79.
Read Our Latest Research Report on EQIX
Insiders Place Their Bets In other Equinix news, Director Christopher B. Paisley sold 125 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,060.29, for a total transaction of $132,536.25. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 17,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,615,511.53. This trade represents a 0.71% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Charles J. Meyers sold 5,224 shares of Equinix stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,085.23, for a total value of $5,669,241.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 7,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,998,145.10. This trade represents a 41.48% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 11,115 shares of company stock worth $12,022,574 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.
Equinix Profile (Free Report)
Equinix, Inc is a global provider of digital infrastructure and interconnection services, specializing in carrier-neutral data centers and colocation. The company operates a platform that enables enterprises, cloud and network service providers, and content companies to colocate IT infrastructure, interconnect directly with partners and providers, and access cloud on-ramps and network services in a secure, low-latency environment.
Equinix’s offerings include traditional colocation space and power, cross-connects and meet-me rooms, and a suite of connectivity and on-demand services designed for hybrid multicloud architectures.
Read More Five stocks we like better than Equinix AMD and Cerbras Create A New Blueprint For Hardware Intel Earnings Reveal Whether the Chip Selloff Created a Buy CrowdStrike’s Cerebras Deal Puts Its AI Security Strategy to the Test Plugging In: How Kinder Morgan Powers Up Profits
Receive News & Ratings for Equinix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
Americké akciové trhy rostou díky naději na obnovení rozhovorů mezi USA a Íránem a zmírnění napětí na Blízkém východě.
Širší index S&P 500 posiluje o 0,41 % na 7438,47 bodu a index Dow Jones si připisuje 0,56 % na 52002,68 bodu. Technologie však mírně zaostávají, technologický Nasdaq Composite odepisuje 0,07 % na 25120,91 bodu. Pozitivní náladu na trhu podporuje také úspěšný start výsledkové sezóny, v níž většina firem překonává očekávání ziskovosti.
V rámci jednotlivých odvětví indexu S&P 500 vykazují nejsilnější růst reality o 2,6 %, následované základními materiály s nárůstem o 1,2 % a nezbytnou spotřebou, která si připisuje 0,8 %. Na druhé straně zaznamenávají jen mírné zisky zbytná spotřeba, informační technologie i utility, které shodně přidávají 0,1 %.
Mezi nejsilnější individuální akcie se řadí Digital Realty Trust (DLR) s prudkým růstem o 14 %. Výrazně posiluje také SLB (SLB) o 10 %, Smurfit Westrock (SW) o 7,9 %, Equinix (EQIX) o 6,3 % a International Paper (IP), která si připisuje 6,2 %. Na opačné straně trhu po výprodejích v technologickém a dodavatelském sektoru klesá Coherent Corp (COHR) o 7,8 %. Nedaří se ani firmám Sandisk Corp (SNDK) a CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW), které shodně odepisují 7,5 %, Lumentum Holdings (LITE) s poklesem o 6,9 % a Robinhood Markets (HOOD), jež oslabuje o 6,1 %.
Zprávy o možném uklidnění situace na Blízkém východě tlačí dolů ceny energií. Severoamerická lehká ropa WTI klesá o 4,2 % na 88,31 dolaru za barel. Spotové zlato naopak mírně posiluje o 0,4 % na 4064,95 dolaru za unci. Americký dolar vykazuje stabilní vývoj, když k euru zůstává téměř bez změny na 1,1379 dolaru, britská libra mírně roste o 0,1 % na 1,3333 dolaru a japonský jen drží úroveň 163,76 jenu za dolar. Pokles cen ropy zmírňuje obavy z inflace, což vede ke poklesu výnosů desetiletých amerických vládních dluhopisů o tři bazické body na 4,66 %. Bitcoin reaguje na celkový vývoj poklesem o 1,9 % na 63850,84 dolaru.
Index Dow Jones +0,56 % na 52002,68 b.
S&P 500 +0,41 % na 7438,47 b.
Nasdaq Composite -0,07 % na 25120,91 b.
Index S&P 500 +0,41 % na 7438,47 b. Nejsilnější sektory S&P Změna Nejslabší sektory S&P Změna Reality +2,6 % Zbytná spotřeba +0,1 % Základní materiály +1,2 % Informační technologie +0,1 % Nezbytná spotřeba +0,8 % Utility +0,1 % Nejsilnější akcie S&P Změna Nejslabší akcie S&P Změna Digital Realty Trust (DLR) +14 % Coherent Corp (COHR) -7,8 % SLB (SLB) +10 % Sandisk Corp (SNDK) -7,5 % Smurfit Westrock (SW) +7,9 % CH Robinson Worldwide (CHRW) -7,5 % Equinix (EQIX) +6,3 % Lumentum Holdings (LITE) -6,9 % International Paper (IP) +6,2 % Robinhood Markets (HOOD) -6,1 %
Daniel Marván, Fio banka, a.s.
Wall Street analysts expect Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) to post quarterly earnings of $11.25 per share in its upcoming report, which indicates a year-over-year increase of 13.5%. Revenues are expected to be $2.59 billion, up 14.8% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. This reflects how the analysts covering the stock have collectively reevaluated their initial estimates during this timeframe.
Before a company reveals its earnings, it is vital to take into account any changes in earnings projections. These revisions play a pivotal role in predicting the possible reactions of investors toward the stock. Multiple empirical studies have consistently shown a strong association between trends in earnings estimates and the short-term price movements of a stock.
While it's common for investors to rely on consensus earnings and revenue estimates for assessing how the business may have performed during the quarter, exploring analysts' forecasts for key metrics can yield valuable insights.
Bearing this in mind, let's now explore the average estimates of specific Equinix metrics that are commonly monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts.
The consensus estimate for 'Revenues- Non-recurring revenues' stands at $180.54 million. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +59.8%.
The average prediction of analysts places 'Revenues- Recurring revenues' at $2.41 billion. The estimate indicates a year-over-year change of +12.4%.
Analysts expect 'Revenues- Recurring revenues- Managed infrastructure' to come in at $121.73 million. The estimate indicates a change of +4% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts' assessment points toward 'Revenues- Recurring revenues- Colocation' reaching $1.78 billion. The estimate points to a change of +12.3% from the year-ago quarter.
The combined assessment of analysts suggests that 'Geographic Revenues- Asia-Pacific' will likely reach $552.39 million. The estimate suggests a change of +13.9% year over year.
Based on the collective assessment of analysts, 'Geographic Revenues- EMEA' should arrive at $860.34 million. The estimate suggests a change of +12.2% year over year.
It is projected by analysts that the 'Geographic Revenues- Americas' will reach $1.18 billion. The estimate points to a change of +17.3% from the year-ago quarter.
The collective assessment of analysts points to an estimated 'Geographic Revenues- EMEA- Non-recurring' of $39.42 million. The estimate indicates a change of +12.6% from the prior-year quarter.
Analysts forecast 'Quarter End Utilization - Worldwide' to reach 77.7%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 78.0% in the same quarter of the previous year.
Analysts predict that the 'Cabinet Equivalent Capacity - EMEA' will reach 142,763 . Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 137,800 in the same quarter last year.
The consensus among analysts is that 'Cabinet Equivalent Capacity - APAC' will reach 96,000 . Compared to the present estimate, the company reported 89,900 in the same quarter last year.
According to the collective judgment of analysts, 'Quarter End Utilization - EMEA' should come in at 77.2%. Compared to the current estimate, the company reported 77.0% in the same quarter of the previous year.
View all Key Company Metrics for Equinix here>>>
Over the past month, Equinix shares have recorded returns of -5% versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.6% change. Based on its Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), EQIX will likely exhibit a performance that aligns with the overall market in the upcoming period. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Key Takeaways Equinix is expected to post higher Q2 revenues and AFFO per share year over year.Strong AI, cloud adoption and digital transformation demand may drive interconnected data center growth.EQIX's AFFO estimate rose to $11.25, though high interest expenses could pressure quarterly results. Equinix, Inc. (EQIX - Free Report) is scheduled to report second-quarter 2026 results on July 29, after market close. The company’s quarterly results are likely to display a year-over-year rise in revenues and adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share.
In the previous quarter, this Redwood City, CA-based data center real estate investment trust (REIT) reported an AFFO of $10.79 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.89 per share. The results reflected higher recurring revenues, led by strong demand for digital infrastructure and services.
Over the preceding four quarters, EQIX’s AFFO per share surpassed the consensus estimate on two occasions and missed in the remaining quarters, with the average beat being 2.83%. This is depicted in the graph below:
Factors at Play for EquinixIn the second quarter of 2026, Equinix is likely to have benefited from the solid demand for interconnected data center infrastructure. Enterprises’ and service providers’ continued efforts to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their strategies and offerings and advance their digital transformation agendas are likely to keep demand up in the upcoming years.
Moreover, the demand for Equinix’s interconnected ecosystem is likely to have remained strong, driven by accelerating enterprise cloud adoption and increasing demand from cloud and internet customers for highly interconnected data center space.
The company’s recurring revenue model, which comprises colocation, related interconnection and managed infrastructure services, is expected to have supported stable cash flows in the to-be-reported quarter, boosting the data center REIT’s top line.
Q2 Projections for EQIXThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for colocation revenues is pegged at $1.78 billion, suggesting growth from $1.59 billion in the prior-year period. The consensus mark for interconnection revenues is pinned at $463.6 million, indicating growth from $407 million in the prior-year period.
The consensus mark for managed infrastructure revenues is pegged at $121.7 million, implying an increase from $117 million reported in the prior-year period. The consensus mark for other revenues is pinned at $39.8 million, indicating a rise from $34 million in the prior-year quarter.
For the second quarter of 2026, Equinix projected revenues between $2.571 billion and $2.611 billion, implying around a 9-10% increase over the prior quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $2.59 billion, indicating an increase of 14.8% from the year-ago period’s reported figure.
EQIX estimated adjusted EBITDA in the range of $1.349-$1.389 billion for the second quarter.
EQIX’s activities during the to-be-reported period were adequate to garner analysts’ confidence. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly AFFO per share has been revised 57 cents upward to $11.25 over the past three months. It suggests a 13.5% increase from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.
However, high interest expenses might have partly impeded the company’s quarterly performance.
What Our Quantitative Model Predicts for EQIXOur proven model doesn’t conclusively predict a surprise in terms of AFFO per share for Equinix this season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an AFFO beat, which is not the case here.
Equinix currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Stocks That Warrant a LookHere are two stocks from the broader REIT industry — Extra Space Storage (EXR - Free Report) and Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) — that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a surprise this quarter.
EXR, which is scheduled to report quarterly results on July 28, 2026, has an Earnings ESP of +0.39% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Cousins Properties is slated to report quarterly numbers on July 30, 2026. CUZ has an Earnings ESP of +0.45% and carries a Zacks Rank of 3 at present.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO), a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX – Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-six brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have issued a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $1,153.7917.
A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Equinix from $1,240.00 to $1,260.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Equinix from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $1,250.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Equinix from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 8th. Cantor Fitzgerald lifted their price objective on shares of Equinix from $1,173.00 to $1,186.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Equinix from $1,165.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on EQIX
Equinix Stock Up 0.1% Shares of NASDAQ EQIX opened at $1,028.74 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,057.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $983.75. The stock has a market cap of $101.45 billion, a PE ratio of 71.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Equinix has a 52-week low of $720.62 and a 52-week high of $1,128.68.
Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $10.79 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.30 by $6.49. Equinix had a return on equity of 10.03% and a net margin of 15.07%.The company had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.67 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 9.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equinix has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.310-43.110 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Equinix will post 38.25 earnings per share for the current year.
Equinix Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a dividend of $5.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. This represents a $20.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Equinix’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 142.84%.
Insider Buying and Selling In other news, Chairman Charles J. Meyers sold 5,224 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,085.23, for a total value of $5,669,241.52. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 7,370 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $7,998,145.10. The trade was a 41.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Christopher B. Paisley sold 125 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,060.29, for a total value of $132,536.25. Following the sale, the director owned 17,557 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,615,511.53. This trade represents a 0.71% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 11,115 shares of company stock worth $12,022,574. Insiders own 0.27% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Equinix Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Equinix by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,398,906 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $10,265,706,000 after purchasing an additional 107,227 shares in the last quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. boosted its holdings in Equinix by 23.3% in the 4th quarter. Cohen & Steers Inc. now owns 2,609,011 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,998,978,000 after purchasing an additional 493,141 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in Equinix by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,567,830 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,959,731,000 after purchasing an additional 25,383 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its position in Equinix by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,980,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,941,377,000 after purchasing an additional 27,643 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in shares of Equinix by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 1,500,506 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,149,628,000 after buying an additional 9,614 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.94% of the company’s stock.
About Equinix (Get Free Report)
Equinix, Inc is a global provider of digital infrastructure and interconnection services, specializing in carrier-neutral data centers and colocation. The company operates a platform that enables enterprises, cloud and network service providers, and content companies to colocate IT infrastructure, interconnect directly with partners and providers, and access cloud on-ramps and network services in a secure, low-latency environment.
Equinix’s offerings include traditional colocation space and power, cross-connects and meet-me rooms, and a suite of connectivity and on-demand services designed for hybrid multicloud architectures.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Equinix Could Truth API Become Trump Media’s First Meaningful Revenue Driver? Small Caps Are Crushing the S&P 500—3 Stocks Still Worth Buying Moog Is More Than a Missile Maker, and Wall Street Is Noticing A Boring Dividend Growth Strategy Becomes a Solid Defensive Play
Receive News & Ratings for Equinix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
The REIT market overvalues recent 'kinetic' earnings growth and undervalues 'potential' forward earnings, creating mispricings across sectors. Data center REITs like DLR, EQIX, and BXDC trade at premium multiples, but current earnings momentum may be cyclical rather than sustainable. JAN, CTO, and UMH offer significant built-in AFFO/share growth potential not yet recognized by the market, trading at attractive valuations.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP decreased its holdings in shares of Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ:EQIX – Free Report) by 1.2% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,204,470 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 14,438 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 1.22% of Equinix worth $1,180,633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC raised its stake in Equinix by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 112,030 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $85,833,000 after buying an additional 4,241 shares during the last quarter. Vanderbilt University grew its stake in shares of Equinix by 65.9% during the fourth quarter. Vanderbilt University now owns 10,298 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,890,000 after acquiring an additional 4,089 shares during the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd grew its stake in shares of Equinix by 6.3% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 52,265 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,043,000 after acquiring an additional 3,108 shares during the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Equinix by 141.1% during the fourth quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,178 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,435,000 after acquiring an additional 1,860 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. raised its position in shares of Equinix by 305.7% in the 4th quarter. Generali Investments CEE investicni spolecnost a.s. now owns 11,766 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,015,000 after purchasing an additional 8,866 shares during the last quarter. 94.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
Equinix Stock Performance EQIX opened at $1,020.00 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. Equinix, Inc. has a 12-month low of $720.62 and a 12-month high of $1,128.68. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $1,060.68 and a two-hundred day moving average of $978.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.59 billion, a PE ratio of 70.59, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.98.
Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $10.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.30 by $6.49. The business had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.52 billion. Equinix had a net margin of 15.07% and a return on equity of 10.03%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $9.67 EPS. Equinix has set its FY 2026 guidance at 42.310-43.110 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Equinix, Inc. will post 38.25 EPS for the current year.
Equinix Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 17th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 20th were issued a $5.16 dividend. This represents a $20.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 20th. Equinix’s dividend payout ratio is presently 142.84%.
Insider Buying and Selling In other Equinix news, Director Christopher B. Paisley sold 125 shares of Equinix stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,060.29, for a total transaction of $132,536.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 17,557 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,615,511.53. This trade represents a 0.71% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Raouf Abdel sold 2,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.47, for a total value of $2,210,278.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,728 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,206,116.16. This trade represents a 26.26% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 11,115 shares of company stock valued at $12,022,574 over the last quarter. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Equinix from $1,109.00 to $1,130.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Equinix from $1,100.00 to $1,200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,240.00 price objective on shares of Equinix in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on shares of Equinix in a report on Friday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $1,210.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Equinix from $1,123.00 to $1,143.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,155.64.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Equinix
Equinix Profile (Free Report)
Equinix, Inc is a global provider of digital infrastructure and interconnection services, specializing in carrier-neutral data centers and colocation. The company operates a platform that enables enterprises, cloud and network service providers, and content companies to colocate IT infrastructure, interconnect directly with partners and providers, and access cloud on-ramps and network services in a secure, low-latency environment.
Equinix’s offerings include traditional colocation space and power, cross-connects and meet-me rooms, and a suite of connectivity and on-demand services designed for hybrid multicloud architectures.
See Also Five stocks we like better than Equinix Strait of Hormuz Tensions Spike Tanker Trade: These 2 Stocks Are Set to Benefit Shopify’s Quiet AI Strategy Could Be Its Biggest Advantage Yet Why These 3 Nuclear ETFs Are Getting a Fresh Look as AI Power Demand Rises 3 Aerospace Suppliers That Could Benefit as Aircraft Makers Face Bottlenecks
Receive News & Ratings for Equinix Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinix and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
SummaryReal estate investing success hinges on wide-moat assets, conservative balance sheets, and experienced management, as demonstrated by EGP, EQIX, AMH, and HHH.EastGroup delivered a 40%+ return since the prior recommendation; now fully valued at 30.7x, I would hold rather than add.Equinix benefits from scarcity-driven pricing power and AI demand, with a strong balance sheet and a 10-year dividend growth streak.American Homes 4 Rent and Howard Hughes Holdings offer compelling value and strategic growth, leveraging legislative tailwinds and unique asset portfolios.Looking for a helping hand in the market? Members of iREIT®+HOYA Capital get exclusive ideas and guidance to navigate any climate. Learn More » JulPo/E+ via Getty Images
There are two ways to learn about wealth creation.
You can read books, or you can spend decades in the trenches, make millions, lose much of it, and then earn the opportunity to build it all over again.
119.68K Followers
Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have a beneficial long position in the shares of EGP, AMH, EQIX, SEG, HHH either through stock ownership, options, or other derivatives. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.
In the latest trading session, Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) closed at $1,020.00, marking a +1.08% move from the previous day. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.01%. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.77%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 1.4%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the data center operator had lost 7.6% lagged the Finance sector's gain of 2.6% and the S&P 500's gain of 0.32%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Equinix in its forthcoming earnings report. The company is scheduled to release its earnings on July 29, 2026. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $11.25, indicating a 13.52% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $2.59 billion, up 14.82% from the year-ago period.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $43.05 per share and revenue of $10.24 billion, which would represent changes of +12.31% and +11.05%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Equinix. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed a 0.01% decrease. Equinix is currently a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, Equinix is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 23.44. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 16.14, so one might conclude that Equinix is trading at a premium comparatively.
It's also important to note that EQIX currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.66. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. As the market closed yesterday, the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry was having an average PEG ratio of 2.67.
The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 78, which puts it in the top 32% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
To follow EQIX in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com.
In the latest trading session, Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) closed at $1,051.21, marking a +1.58% move from the previous day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.42%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.29%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.29%.
The data center operator's stock has dropped by 0.8% in the past month, falling short of the Finance sector's gain of 4.33% and the S&P 500's gain of 2.2%.
The upcoming earnings release of Equinix will be of great interest to investors. The company's earnings report is expected on July 29, 2026. It is anticipated that the company will report an EPS of $11.25, marking a 13.52% rise compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $2.59 billion, indicating a 14.82% growth compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $43.05 per share and a revenue of $10.24 billion, indicating changes of +12.31% and +11.05%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Equinix. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Consequently, upward revisions in estimates express analysts' positivity towards the business operations and its ability to generate profits.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. As of now, Equinix holds a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
Valuation is also important, so investors should note that Equinix has a Forward P/E ratio of 24.04 right now. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 15.29 of its industry.
We can also see that EQIX currently has a PEG ratio of 1.71. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry stood at 2.56 at the close of the market yesterday.
The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 102, putting it in the top 42% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our individual industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
While the Federal Reserve has held rates steady since its December 2025 meeting, investor expectations for future interest rate decisions have shifted drastically over the course of the year. Early expectations for 2026 rate cuts quickly faded as stubborn inflation fueled interest rate volatility, heavily impacting real estate ETFs.
Key Takeaways: Despite volatility driven by shifting interest rate sentiment, broad real estate funds like XLRE, VNQ, and SCHH have consistently outpaced broader market indexes such as the S&P 500 in 2026. Demand for AI infrastructure and cloud computing has fueled a surge in data center REITs, which have become a primary driver of real estate sector ETF performance this year. While early-year expectations for rate cuts have faded, the real estate sector remains sensitive to the Federal Reserve’s evolving policy, leaving performance in the second half of 2026 heavily dependent on upcoming interest rate decisions. This constant shift in sentiment has triggered sharp volatility across the real estate sector, an area of the market uniquely vulnerable to the changing cost of capital. The industry heavily relies on debt financing to fund new construction and property acquisitions. For instance, any fluctuation in interest rates immediately raises overall financing cost, which impacts the bottom lines of homebuilders and REITs alike.
Investors often view REITs as alternatives to bonds, as they are mandated to distribute at least 90% of taxable income back to shareholders. When yields on fixed-income markets rise, investors will often rotate capital away from REITs into less volatile fixed-income markets, driving REIT share prices down.
Real Estate ETFs’ Resilient Run Despite interest rate dynamics sparking volatility in the sector, broad real estate funds have often outperformed broad market indexes such as the S&P 500. The State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) — with an expense ratio of 8 basis points — has returned 11.1% this year with inflows of $190.6 million. This is notably higher than the 9.6% return yielded by the S&P 500. The fund tracks the S&P Real Estate Select Sector Index, investing a large majority of assets in a concentrated portfolio of roughly 30 REITs from the S&P 500, excluding mortgage REITs.
The Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ) and Schwab US REIT ETF (SCHH) take similar approaches to XLRE also outperforming broad market indexes. The funds feature an expense ratio of 13 basis points and 7 basis points, respectively.
VNQ tracks the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index, providing investors exposure to a diversified portfolio of REITs oriented towards investors seeking a combination of current income and moderate long-term capital appreciation. The fund has climbed 11.5% this year, recording inflows of $1.46 billion.
Similarly, SCHH seeks to replicate the performance of the Dow Jones Equity All REIT Capped Index, holding a broad selection of REITs that own and operate income-producing real estate. The fund has returned 15.2% in 2026, receiving inflows of $1.18 billion. This includes a staggering $1 billion in flows in late June, likely due to a weaker than expected job report, and various corporate actions and M&A deals across top holdings.
Data Center REITs Surging While interest rates remain a pivotal factor in REIT performance, data center REITs have uplifted real estate sector ETF performance in 2026. Driven by increasing physical demand for high-speed data and AI infrastructure, the data center REIT sector climbed more than 37% year to date through May.
Leading the charge in this digital infrastructure boom are Equinix (EQIX) and Digital Realty Trust (DLR), both of which serve as major weightings within XLRE, VNQ, and SCHH. These firms have benefited from the insatiable demand for AI workloads and cloud computing. EQIX reported revenue of $2.47 billion in Q1 2026, up 12.1% from the same period last year and DLR announced $1.63 billion in revenue with a 16.7% increase year over year. As a result, both REITs have surged to date this year with returns of 33.9% and 13.2%, respectively.
Navigating a New Rate Reality As investors enter the second half of 2026, expectations for near-term interest rate cuts have shifted radically. Despite a weaker-than-expected jobs report and flat interest rates through June, the market narrative has pivoted from pricing in rate cuts to bracing for at least one rate hike later this year, according to CNBC.
Given that interest rates historically move in prolonged directional cycles rather than one-off policy adjustments, the Fed’s actions in the upcoming months will heavily dictate the performance of real estate ETFs through the remainder of 2026 and beyond.
For more news, information, and analysis, visit VettaFi | ETF Trends.
The AI buildout has turned the old-school data center real estate investment trusts (REITs) from a niche real estate subsector into one of the clearest ways to own the physical infrastructure behind the artificial intelligence boom, and the numbers are starting to back that up. One of the biggest companies in the arena, Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX | EQIX Price Prediction), posted $2.444 billion in first-quarter 2026 revenue, up 10% year over year, and a record $378 million in first-quarter bookings, while another, Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR), logged 16% year-over-year sales growth and has a $1.8 billion backlog. Vacancy in primary U.S. markets remains near record lows. Hyperscalers are locking in 15-year leases years before facilities even break ground, and grid interconnection queues stretching out to 2030 mean the supply squeeze isn’t going away anytime soon.
For investors looking to play the AI infrastructure trade without betting on a single chipmaker, the legacy data center REITs offer a compelling combination of locked-in demand, dividend income, and structural scarcity. We have covered the data center REITs for years here at 24/7 Wall St., and one of the compelling reasons, then and now, is that all three companies pay respectable, dependable dividends to shareholders. Those dividends can increase the possibility for higher total return. With their respective infrastructures firmly in place, they offer investors reliable income alongside solid total return potential. While dividends are much smaller than they were five and 10 years ago, they are still higher than those that most technology companies pay.
Here are the three data center REITs investors should consider now. All are rated Buy at the top Wall Street firms that we cover.
Digital Realty Trust This is one of the top old-school data center REITs, and it pays a solid 2.82% dividend. Digital Realty Trust owns, acquires, develops, and operates data centers through its operating partnership subsidiary. The company is focused on providing data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions for domestic and international customers across a variety of industry verticals, ranging from cloud and information technology services, communications, and social networking to financial services, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and consumer products.
It provides its customers with access to the connected data communities with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 55+ metros across 30+ countries on six continents. The company’s PlatformDIGITAL is a global data center platform for scaling digital businesses, enabling customers to deploy critical infrastructure through a global data center provider.
The company recently took a $3.5 billion stake in Blackstone’s three data centers in Virginia. This gives the company greater exposure in Virginia, the largest data center market in the United States.
Truist Financial has a Buy rating with a $225 target price.
Equinix This is the world’s largest data center REIT, operating over 280 global facilities, and it pays a 1.92% dividend. The digital infrastructure company’s platform, Equinix, combines a global footprint of International Business Exchange and xScale data centers in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and elsewhere; interconnection offerings; and digital ecosystems to serve a large and diverse set of customers.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Equinix didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
The company offers a variety of enabling solutions that support a customer’s need to implement, operate, and maintain its colocated deployments. Its solutions include:
Equinix SmartView Equinix Smart Hands Equinix Smart Build Equinix Managed Solutions and Enablement Services Equinix SmartView is a fully integrated monitoring software that provides customers with visibility into the operating data relevant to their specific Equinix footprint. Its interconnection solutions connect businesses directly within and between its data centers across its platform, including Equinix Fabric and Fiber Connect, among others.
Citigroup has a Buy rating with a $1,260 target price.
Iron Mountain Iron Mountain (NYSE: IRM) has transformed from a traditional physical document storage business into a rapidly growing digital company. It is recognized as one of the best data center REITs in the market and pays a solid 2.81% dividend. This information management services provider offers services across digital transformation, information security, and data center and asset lifecycle management.
Iron Mountain helps businesses to unlock value and intelligence from their stored digital and physical assets, while operating through two segments. The Global Records and Information Management Business segment includes such offerings as:
Records management Data management Global digital solutions Secure shredding Media and archive services Consumer storage The Global Data Center Business segment provides data center facilities and capacity to protect mission-critical assets and ensure the continued operation of its customers’ information technology (IT) infrastructure with flexible data center options.
J.P. Morgan has an Overweight rating with a $138 price objective.
Act now: the analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks — and Equinix didn't make the cut. Grab the names FREE today.
On July 07, 2026, we take a closer look at the discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis for Equinix Inc (EQIX). The company has shown a price performance of -8.0% ov
Whether it's through stocks, bonds, ETFs, or other types of securities, all investors love seeing their portfolios score big returns. But when you're an income investor, your primary focus is generating consistent cash flow from each of your liquid investments.
While cash flow can come from bond interest or interest from other types of investments, income investors hone in on dividends. A dividend is that coveted distribution of a company's earnings paid out to shareholders, and investors often view it by its dividend yield, a metric that measures the dividend as a percent of the current stock price. Many academic studies show that dividends make up large portions of long-term returns, and in many cases, dividend contributions surpass one-third of total returns.
Based in Redwood City, Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) is in the Finance sector, and so far this year, shares have seen a price change of 32.3%. Currently paying a dividend of $5.16 per share, the company has a dividend yield of 2.04%. In comparison, the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry's yield is 3.74%, while the S&P 500's yield is 1.4%.
Looking at dividend growth, the company's current annualized dividend of $20.64 is up 10% from last year. Over the last 5 years, Equinix has increased its dividend 5 times on a year-over-year basis for an average annual increase of 13.62%. Looking ahead, future dividend growth will be dependent on earnings growth and payout ratio, which is the proportion of a company's annual earnings per share that it pays out as a dividend. Equinix's current payout ratio is 52%, meaning it paid out 52% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividend.
EQIX is expecting earnings to expand this fiscal year as well. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 is $42.93 per share, representing a year-over-year earnings growth rate of 12.00%.
Investors like dividends for many reasons; they greatly improve stock investing profits, decrease overall portfolio risk, and carry tax advantages, among others. It's important to keep in mind that not all companies provide a quarterly payout.
High-growth firms or tech start-ups, for example, rarely provide their shareholders a dividend, while larger, more established companies that have more secure profits are often seen as the best dividend options. During periods of rising interest rates, income investors must be mindful that high-yielding stocks tend to struggle. That said, they can take comfort from the fact that EQIX is not only an attractive dividend play, but is also a compelling investment opportunity with a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Equinix (EQIX 0.53%) may look like a data-center REIT, but the real story could be its interconnection moat. As enterprise AI moves from experiments into production, companies may need secure physical locations to connect data, clouds, networks, and AI models. That could make Equinix a quiet winner in AI infrastructure.
Stock prices used were the market prices of June 23, 2026. The video was published on July 1, 2026.
Rick Orford has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Equinix. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick Orford is an affiliate of The Motley Fool and may be compensated for promoting its services. If you choose to subscribe through their link, they will earn some extra money that supports their channel. Their opinions remain their own and are unaffected by The Motley Fool.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company®, today announced that it will hold its quarterly conference call on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT). The company will discuss second-quarter results for the period ended June 30, 2026.
To hear the conference call live, please dial 1-517-308-9482 (domestic and international) and reference the passcode: EQIX. A simultaneous live webcast of the call will be available on the Investor Relations site. A replay of the call will be available one hour after the call through Wednesday, September 30, 2026, by dialing 1-866-427-6395 and entering the passcode: 2026. In addition, the webcast will be available on the Investor Relations site (no password required).
About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) shortens the path to boundless connectivity anywhere in the world. Its digital infrastructure, data center footprint and interconnected ecosystems empower innovations that enhance our work, life and planet. Equinix connects economies, countries, organizations and communities, delivering seamless digital experiences and cutting-edge AI—quickly, efficiently and everywhere.
In the latest close session, Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) was down 3.94% at $1,042.39. This change lagged the S&P 500's 0.79% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 0.26%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 1.52%.
Heading into today, shares of the data center operator had gained 3.27% over the past month, outpacing the Finance sector's gain of 2.74% and the S&P 500's loss of 1.82%.
The investment community will be closely monitoring the performance of Equinix in its forthcoming earnings report. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $11.25, signifying a 13.52% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $2.59 billion, indicating a 14.82% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $42.93 per share and revenue of $10.24 billion, which would represent changes of +12% and +11.09%, respectively, from the prior year.
Investors should also note any recent changes to analyst estimates for Equinix. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-term stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.
The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, there's been no change in the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. As of now, Equinix holds a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
In terms of valuation, Equinix is presently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 25.28. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 15.54, so one might conclude that Equinix is trading at a premium comparatively.
It's also important to note that EQIX currently trades at a PEG ratio of 1.79. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. EQIX's industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.61 as of yesterday's close.
The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry, currently bearing a Zacks Industry Rank of 162, finds itself in the bottom 34% echelons of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank is ordered from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.
On June 30, 2026, Equinix Inc (EQIX) shares fell 3.9% today, bringing the current price to $1042.39. The stock has traded within a 52-week range of $720.62 to $
RESTON, Va., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, today announced that it has been named the 2025 AMER Distributor of the Year by Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company®, for the second year in a row. The award was announced on May 19, 2026, and highlights the significant impact Carahsoft has had in expanding Equinix’s reach in the Public Sector.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized by Equinix as the 2025 AMER Distributor of the Year for the second consecutive year,” said Evan Slack, Sales Director overseeing the Equinix Team at Carahsoft. “This award reflects the strength of our collaboration with Equinix and the continued dedication of our reseller partners, who play a critical role in delivering innovative digital infrastructure solutions to the Public Sector. Together, we are helping Government agencies modernize their IT environments, strengthen connectivity and support emerging technologies through scalable, secure and reliable solutions.”
As Equinix’s Public Sector distributor since 2022, Carahsoft has played a key role in expanding Equinix’s reach across the Public Sector, streamlining access for customers through contract vehicles while equipping partners with additional sales and solution resources, go-to-market capabilities and enhanced support. In 2025, the partnership achieved new milestones through increased marketing engagement, partner-focused campaigns and collaborative events designed to accelerate Public Sector adoption of Equinix solutions. Carahsoft also hosted Equinix’s first onsite partner event, bringing together 45 partners and supporting successful marketing initiatives throughout the year that generated significant digital transformation value for Public Sector customers and revenue for partners.
“We are proud to recognize Carahsoft as the 2025 AMER Distributor of the Year,” said Kevin Thames, VP, AMER Channel Sales, Equinix. “This honor reflects their strong execution, customer focus and alignment with our shared go-to-market priorities. Carahsoft’s expertise has helped accelerate Public Sector growth and expand access to secure, scalable, infrastructure across the entire AI continuum from multicloud to private AI. We look forward to continuing our momentum together.”
Equinix’s solutions are available through Carahsoft’s NASPO ValuePoint Master Agreement #AR2472, TIPS Contract #220105, OMNIA Partners Contract #R240303 and E&I Contract #EI00063~2021MA. For more information, contact the Carahsoft Team at (571) 662-4600 or [email protected]; or explore Equinix’s solutions here.
About Carahsoft’s AI Portfolio
Carahsoft’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Portfolio includes leading and emerging technology vendors who are enabling Government agencies and systems integrators to harness the power of AI and ultimately meet mission needs; from creating efficiencies within agencies to bolstering national security and defense. Supported by dedicated AI product specialists and an extensive ecosystem of resellers, integrators and service providers, we help organizations identify the right technology for unique environments and provide access to technology solutions through our broad portfolio of contract vehicles. Our AI portfolio spans solutions for AI Infrastructure, Generative and Agentic AI, Autonomous Systems & Robotics and more. Learn more about Carahsoft’s AI Solutions for Government here.
About Carahsoft
Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator® for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com.
F5 AI Guardrails and Equinix Distributed AI Hub combine to enable distributed enterprise AI deployments with speed, flexibility, and security
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV), the global leader in delivering and securing every app and API, today announced a collaboration with Equinix, the world’s digital infrastructure company, to help enterprises deploy and govern distributed AI securely across hybrid and multicloud environments. It combines F5 AI Guardrails with the Equinix Distributed AI Hub, Equinix’s single, unified framework for enterprises to connect, secure, and simplify their increasingly complex and distributed AI ecosystems. The result is a policy-enforced AI control plane where distributed AI traffic runs over private interconnects, and every AI interaction is designed to be governed by consistent, audit-ready guardrails across clouds, models, and agents.
Agentic and generative AI are rapidly increasing enterprise connectivity and expanding the security perimeter from users to agents. Organizations are connecting multiple agents to multiple models, multiple clouds, and multiple data sources, creating new security gaps, governance complexity, shadow AI concerns, and compliance risk. At the same time, many enterprises are building AI systems and agentic workflows in isolation, leading to fragmented architectures, inconsistent controls, vendor and data lock-in, rising infrastructure and data egress costs, and growing AI spend sprawl. Traditional application security tools were not designed for AI-native traffic and often miss AI-specific risks during interactions—such as prompt injection, data leakage, model misbehavior, and harmful outputs—limiting observability and making governance and audit readiness difficult.
F5 and Equinix address these challenges directly, giving enterprises a comprehensive foundation for deploying secure, flexible, and efficient distributed AI systems without refactoring architectures or sacrificing sovereignty. The architecture provides a consistent control plane for coordinating AI interactions across distributed models, agents, data sources, and cloud environments, helping organizations scale AI without introducing operational fragmentation or governance gaps.
A vendor-neutral AI fabric with built-in security and governance
The Equinix Distributed AI Hub is a neutral location that allows enterprises to discover, connect to, and consume AI infrastructure providers—including model companies, GPU clouds, data platforms, network and security services, and AI frameworks—all through Equinix’s global ecosystem of more than 280 interconnected data centers and 10,000-plus customers. This enables enterprises to run their distributed AI across clouds without vendor lock-in or infrastructure re-engineering. F5 AI Guardrails applies AI-native, policy-based controls during AI interactions to detect and block data leakage, policy violations, and harmful outputs, with centralized visibility and audit-ready traceability.
The combined framework enables enterprises to:
Deploy distributed AI faster across Equinix’s vendor-neutral and interconnected ecosystem of 280+ data centers with direct, private access to clouds, data platforms, models, AI providers, and partners Detect and prevent sensitive data from leaving controlled environments, and block noncompliant outputs with moderation controls that adapt as new models and business needs emerge Enforce consistent governance frameworks with centralized visibility; unified dashboards across models, agents, and users; and audit-ready reporting aligned to regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and the EU AI Act Operate AI securely across hybrid and multicloud environments with consistent, model-agnostic guardrails and flexible deployment options that meet data privacy and sovereignty requirements with latency suitable for interactive workloads It combines Equinix’s distributed infrastructure and ecosystem connectivity with F5’s AI-native protections into a unified control plane that governs AI interactions across every cloud, model, and agent an enterprise uses. Additionally, F5’s AI Guardrails is deployed as an on‑prem solution within Equinix, making it well suited for organizations with strict regulatory and data sovereignty requirements. For organizations navigating multi-model, multicloud complexity under growing regulatory pressure, this is the difference between distributed AI that introduces risk and distributed AI that is governed by design.
“Enterprises want to move fast with AI, but security gaps, fragmented governance, and compliance uncertainty keep slowing them down,” said John Maddison, Chief Marketing Officer, F5. “Together with Equinix, we are giving organizations a way to deploy distributed AI across hybrid and multicloud environments with the speed and flexibility they need, while ensuring every AI interaction is protected, governed, and audit-ready. This is about making secure AI adoption the path of least resistance, not the bottleneck.”
“Enterprises require infrastructure that supports AI innovation without forcing tradeoffs between performance, security, or control,” said Brian Stein, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure, Equinix. “Equinix is the neutral platform where AI, cloud, and networking infrastructure converge. By combining F5 AI Guardrails with the Equinix Distributed AI Hub, we offer customers a simpler and smarter vendor-neutral foundation to build and scale distributed AI with confidence.”
Built for today’s most pressing enterprise challenges
The combined framework supports critical use cases across industries, including preventing sensitive data leakage to LLMs with policy-based controls and audit-ready logs, centralizing governance across distributed AI deployments for consistent policies and visibility, protecting against model misbehavior and harmful outputs, gaining control over shadow AI to manage risk and cost, and supporting data privacy and sovereignty requirements by aligning where AI runs and where data lives. In addition, F5 AI Red Team can further strengthen security posture by surfacing exploitable weaknesses against guardrail policies.
To learn more about the F5 and Equinix partnership, collaborations, and how to get started, visit: https://www.f5.com/equinix
Additional resources
Solution guide: F5 AI Guardrails for Equinix Distributed AI Hub Blog: How F5 and Equinix help secure and govern distributed AI About F5
F5, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) is the global leader that delivers and secures every app. Backed by three decades of expertise, F5 has built the industry’s premier platform—F5 Application Delivery and Security Platform (ADSP)—to deliver and secure every app, every API, anywhere: on-premises, in the cloud, at the edge, and across hybrid, multicloud environments. F5 is committed to innovating and partnering with the world’s largest and most advanced organizations to deliver fast, available, and secure digital experiences. Together, we help each other thrive and bring a better digital world to life.
For more information visit f5.com
Explore F5 Labs threat research at f5.com/labs
Follow to learn more about F5, our partners, and technologies: Blog | LinkedIn | X | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook
F5 is a trademark, service mark, or tradename of F5, Inc., in the U.S. and other countries. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. The use of the terms “partner,” “partners,” “partnership,” “partnering,” “collaboration,” “collaborate,” or “collaborates” in this press release does not imply that a joint venture exists between F5 and any other company.
Key Takeaways Equinix expanded Cisco and NVIDIA partnerships to accelerate enterprise AI adoption globally.EQIX will host Presidio's P.A.T.H. Lab to test, validate, and optimize AI infrastructure.Equinix data centers provide power, cooling, and interconnection for Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA. Equinix, Inc. (EQIX - Free Report) has expanded its partnership with Cisco and NVIDIA to speed enterprise AI adoption. Together with these partners, the company will enable customers to deploy the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA across its global network of high-performance data centers, offering customers standardized AI factory blueprints and automated deployment capabilities.
Equinix is also teaming up with Presidio, a leading global technology services and solutions provider, to deploy its Programmable AI Technology Hub (“P.A.T.H.”) Lab. Located within Equinix data centers, the lab will provide customers with a real-world environment to test, validate and optimize AI infrastructure before rolling it out enterprise-wide.
By integrating Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA into its global data centers, Equinix gives customers access to the interconnection density, specialized power, and advanced cooling required to deploy the latest AI hardware and software. The deployments are based on NVIDIA reference architectures, allowing enterprises to purchase and implement technology through trusted partners and across existing platforms.
Built on Cisco’s Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, the P.A.T.H. lab is a fully integrated, production-grade AI environment where enterprises can test, validate and refine their AI strategies before committing to full-scale rollouts.
Leveraging the combined expertise of Presidio, Cisco, NVIDIA and Equinix, enterprises gain access to turnkey AI infrastructure proven to work across hybrid workloads. The solution supports deployments spanning public cloud, neocloud, on-premises and colocation environments, enabling organizations to adopt AI solutions with confidence.
ConclusionAs enterprises accelerate AI adoption, demand is expanding beyond AI chips to the infrastructure required to deploy AI workloads efficiently and securely. Through its collaborations with Cisco, NVIDIA and Presidio, Equinix is positioning itself as a one-stop platform where customers can build, test and scale AI deployments. This strategy not only enhances the value of the company’s global data center footprint but also creates additional opportunities to drive long-term customer growth and recurring revenues.
In the past three months, shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 12.5% compared with the industry's 7.6% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) and Vornado Realty Trust (VNO - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank of 2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $2.93, which indicates year-over-year growth of 3.17%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VNO’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $2.34, which calls for an increase of 0.86% from the year-ago period.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Presidio deploys Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA at Equinix data center in complementary, partner-led lab environment
Endorsed architectures and live testing lab deliver faster path for enterprises from pilot to production AI
, /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company®, today unveiled an expanded collaboration with Cisco and NVIDIA to accelerate enterprise AI. Working with its partners, the company will enable customers to deploy the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA across its global network of high-performance data centers, providing customers with standardized AI factory blueprints and automation that simplify deployments.
Equinix is also partnering with Presidio to deploy their Programmable AI Technology Hub (P.A.T.H.) Lab. The lab will give customers a real-world environment inside Equinix data centers to test, validate and refine AI infrastructure before enterprise-wide rollout.
"The success of enterprise AI starts with its physical foundation," said Gordon Mackintosh, Senior Vice President, Global Partner Sales and Ecosystems at Equinix. "Our collaboration with Cisco, NVIDIA and Presidio delivers the infrastructure AI workloads demand while giving customers a place to prove it out before they scale. This is how AI shifts from pilot to production with the speed, simplicity and certainty businesses need."
By bringing the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA into its global data centers, Equinix is making it easier for customers to access the interconnection density, specialized power and advanced cooling customers and partners need to deploy the latest AI hardware and software at scale. These deployments are based on NVIDIA reference architectures that are purpose-built to reflect how enterprises buy and deploy technology: through trusted partners and on infrastructure platforms they already rely on.
"As agentic AI reshapes the industry, long-term success belongs to partner ecosystems that can adapt and innovate as rapidly as the technology itself. Our collaboration with Equinix, Presidio and NVIDIA to deliver the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA illustrates how a trusted agile partner ecosystem can deliver secure, flexible AI infrastructure quickly to meet customers' needs," said Cassie Roach, Global Vice President of Cloud and AI Infrastructure Partner Sales at Cisco.
Bringing these architectures to life in a real-world environment, Presidio, a leading global technology services and solutions provider, has partnered with Equinix to develop the Programmable AI Technology Hub (P.A.T.H.) Lab. Built on Cisco's Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA, the lab is a fully integrated, production-grade AI environment purpose-built for enterprises to test, validate, and refine their AI strategies before committing to full-scale deployment. Through the combined expertise of Presidio, Cisco, NVIDIA and Equinix, enterprises gain access to turnkey AI infrastructure proven to work across hybrid workloads, spanning public cloud, neocloud, on-premises, and colocation environments.
"One of the most important shifts we've seen in the last 18 months is that AI success is no longer about finding the most powerful model," said Tim McHugh, VP Partnerships & Alliances at Presidio. "It's about building the infrastructure that can run AI everywhere it matters, without sacrificing data sovereignty or control. Equinix Distributed AI™ is the foundation that makes that possible at global scale, and P.A.T.H. is how Presidio brings that capability directly to our clients. We're not asking them to take our word for it -- we're putting them inside a production-grade environment and showing them what distributed AI infrastructure actually looks like in practice."
Additional Resources
Equinix and Cisco solutions About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) shortens the path to boundless connectivity anywhere in the world. Its digital infrastructure, data center footprint and interconnected ecosystems empower innovations that enhance our work, life and planet. Equinix connects economies, countries, organizations and communities, delivering seamless digital experiences and cutting-edge AI—quickly, efficiently and everywhere.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks to our business and operating results related to the current inflationary environment; foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations; stock price fluctuations; increased costs to procure power and the general volatility in the global energy market; the challenges of building and operating IBX® and xScale® data centers, including those related to sourcing suitable power and land, and any supply chain constraints or increased costs of supplies; the challenges of developing, deploying and delivering Equinix products and solutions; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; risks related to regulatory inquiries or litigation; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent and upcoming Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
POWAY, Calif., June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VyOS Networks today announced the availability of VyOS 1.5 LTS on Equinix Network Edge, bringing the latest long-term support release of the VyOS Universal Networking Platform to Equinix's global interconnection infrastructure. Enterprises, service providers, and infrastructure teams can now deploy VyOS 1.5 LTS as a virtual network function (VNF) on Equinix Network Edge, with access to Equinix Fabric and direct on-ramps to major cloud providers, including AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.
VyOS 1.5 LTS represents a significant step forward from the version originally introduced to Platform Equinix in 2023. The release introduces VPP (Vector Packet Processing), an accelerated dataplane that can deliver packet forwarding performance up to 15x faster than the standard Linux kernel dataplane, making it suited for high-throughput edge and hybrid cloud deployments where latency and throughput are critical. VPP can be deployed selectively on high-traffic interfaces while the kernel dataplane remains active, where full feature coverage is required, giving operators precise control over the performance and capability trade-off.
Beyond raw performance, VyOS 1.5 LTS brings a transactional CLI with commit and rollback, built-in configuration versioning, and automation-first integration designed to make network operations part of the delivery pipeline rather than a manual step outside of it. These capabilities are available consistently across all deployment targets, including bare metal, major hypervisors, public cloud, and Equinix Network Edge, under a single operational model and configuration interface.
On Equinix Network Edge, VyOS 1.5 LTS is available on month-to-month or committed term billing, priced by VNF size. Combined with VyOS's software subscription model, which carries no per-bandwidth, per-tunnel, or per-user fees, organizations can scale their edge network footprint without the licensing overhead that typically accompanies growth on traditional networking platforms.
"VyOS 1.5 LTS on Equinix Network Edge is the most capable version of VyOS we have brought to this platform," said Santiago Blanquet, Chief Revenue Officer at VyOS Networks. "Teams can now deploy high-performance, production-grade networking at the interconnection layer in minutes, with the same operational model they use everywhere else in their infrastructure. The combination of VPP acceleration, transactional configuration management, and a software cost model that does not penalize growth removes the barriers that used to make edge networking a slow and operationally fragmented exercise."
VyOS 1.5 LTS is available now on Equinix Network Edge across all supported metro locations. For more information, visit vyos.io or contact [email protected].
About VyOS Networks
VyOS Networks is the global leader in open-source networking, delivering secure, scalable, and automated solutions for organizations across bare metal, cloud, and edge environments. Built on Linux and trusted by enterprises, service providers, and integrators worldwide, VyOS provides an enterprise-grade platform that unifies advanced routing, firewall, and VPN capabilities with full control and zero vendor lock-in. Your network, your rules: adaptable, transparent, and future-proof by design, VyOS empowers you to operate with operational simplicity, high performance, continuous innovation, and cost-sustainable scalability.
New presence will support managed hosting and low-latency connectivity to BME Exchange ahead of BME’s planned migration to MD6
RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In preparation for BME (Bolsas y Mercados Españoles) migrating its matching engines from BME’s Las Rozas data center to the Equinix MD6 colocation data center in Madrid, Waypoint Trading Solutions, a TNS business, is expanding its European exchange footprint with the launch of services in MD6.
“We are delighted to support BME’s planned migration and further enhance our European exchange connectivity and managed hosting capabilities,” said Jeff Mezger, Vice President of Product Management, Waypoint Trading Solutions.
Share This latest development will support managed hosting and ultra-low latency Layer 1 exchange connectivity to BME Exchange. The relocation of BME’s matching engines to MD6 in Q2 2027 will place trading firms in close proximity to the core Spanish trading platform, helping to minimize network latency.
Extending Waypoint’s presence in Europe means customers will have continued ultra-low latency Layer 1 exchange connectivity to all key European financial hubs, complementing its colocation services in London, Frankfurt and other major exchanges. It enables firms, including market data vendors and exchange members, to access Spanish equities and derivatives markets for both market data and order entry. Waypoint will also offer Layer 3 services in MD6.
“We are delighted to support BME’s planned migration and further enhance our European exchange connectivity and managed hosting capabilities,” said Jeff Mezger, Vice President of Product Management, Waypoint Trading Solutions. “Our focus remains on supporting connectivity globally via our low latency backbone specifically engineered to minimize network latency and maximize resiliency and uptime.”
“Waypoint’s presence in MD6 will give customers direct access to BME Exchange from a key European financial hub,” said Santiago Ximenez Rodriguez, Head Data & Connectivity, Exchanges, SIX. “We welcome the expansion of connectivity options that support efficient access to Spanish markets.”
This deployment is part of Waypoint’s ongoing commitment to providing colocation services within Europe, which already includes BME, SIX Swiss Exchange, CBOE Europe, Deutsche Boerse, Euronext, LME, Nasdaq Nordic and LSE data centers. In 2022, Waypoint announced its managed hosting and colocation access in the BME data center and last year launched services in the Equinix ZH4 colocation data center in Zurich, enabling managed hosting and ultra-low latency Layer 1 exchange connectivity to SIX Swiss Exchange.
Adding this new colocation in Madrid means Waypoint customers can benefit from direct access to a key financial hub with over 85,000 equities, fixed income and derivative instruments, as well as an expanding ecosystem of growth market listings and securitized derivatives that provide access to one of Europe’s most dynamic investment landscapes.
As both a registered data vendor and application service provider with SIX, Waypoint offers customers a managed alternative to building and maintaining extensive specialist infrastructure in-house, enabling trading firms to focus internal resources on their core business.
About Waypoint Trading Solutions
Waypoint Trading Solutions, a TNS business, is a global provider of mission-critical trading infrastructure. Built on the combined strengths of TNS’ Financial Markets business and Radianz, Waypoint supports financial institutions globally across the full trading infrastructure stack - combining the world’s largest financial extranet, a managed low-latency platform with global hosting and exchange access, and fully managed market data operations. With decades of experience operating financial market infrastructure, Waypoint maintains an extensive global footprint across major financial centers, supported by 24x7x365 operational teams, deep local expertise and end-to-end management delivered by multidisciplinary technical experts.
For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Finance sector should help us answer this question.
Equinix is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 831 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Equinix is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EQIX's full-year earnings has moved 2.3% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
According to our latest data, EQIX has moved about 38.9% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 3.7% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Equinix is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
Another stock in the Finance sector, BNY (BNY - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 22.8%.
In BNY's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 4.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Equinix belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry, which includes 19 individual stocks and currently sits at #155 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 21% so far this year, so EQIX is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, BNY belongs to the Banks - Major Regional industry. This 9-stock industry is currently ranked #41. The industry has moved +12.6% year to date.
Equinix and BNY could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) closed at $1,055.85 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.21% move from the prior day. The stock outperformed the S&P 500, which registered a daily gain of 0.5%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a gain of 0.7%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq increased by 0.31%.
Shares of the data center operator have depreciated by 3.38% over the course of the past month, underperforming the Finance sector's gain of 1.89%, and the S&P 500's loss of 0.23%.
The upcoming earnings release of Equinix will be of great interest to investors. The company is expected to report EPS of $10.68, up 7.77% from the prior-year quarter. Simultaneously, our latest consensus estimate expects the revenue to be $2.59 billion, showing a 14.82% escalation compared to the year-ago quarter.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $42.52 per share and revenue of $10.24 billion. These totals would mark changes of +10.93% and +11.09%, respectively, from last year.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Equinix. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the business outlook.
Our research reveals that these estimate alterations are directly linked with the stock price performance in the near future. To take advantage of this, we've established the Zacks Rank, an exclusive model that considers these estimated changes and delivers an operational rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), possesses a remarkable history of outdoing, externally audited, with #1 stocks returning an average annual gain of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained steady. Equinix presently features a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Looking at valuation, Equinix is presently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 24.54. This valuation marks a premium compared to its industry average Forward P/E of 15.85.
We can also see that EQIX currently has a PEG ratio of 1.74. The PEG ratio is akin to the commonly utilized P/E ratio, but this measure also incorporates the company's anticipated earnings growth rate. The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.45 as trading concluded yesterday.
The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 149, placing it within the bottom 39% of over 250 industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Be sure to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and many more, on Zacks.com.
Data center REITs have delivered sector-leading, consistent outperformance, driven by secular tailwinds like AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation. DLR, EQIX, and IRM are trading at premium valuations, reflecting strong fundamentals, but current multiples suggest waiting for a pullback before adding exposure. American Tower is the top pick for new data center exposure, offering integrated connectivity and compute, trading at a discount with a 4% yield and significant upside potential.
Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) appears an attractive pick, as it has been recently upgraded to a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This rating change essentially reflects an upward trend in earnings estimates -- one of the most powerful forces impacting stock prices.
A company's changing earnings picture is at the core of the Zacks rating. The system tracks the Zacks Consensus Estimate -- the consensus measure of EPS estimates from the sell-side analysts covering the stock -- for the current and following years.
Individual investors often find it hard to make decisions based on rating upgrades by Wall Street analysts, since these are mostly driven by subjective factors that are hard to see and measure in real time. In these situations, the Zacks rating system comes in handy because of the power of a changing earnings picture in determining near-term stock price movements.
Therefore, the Zacks rating upgrade for Equinix basically reflects positivity about its earnings outlook that could translate into buying pressure and an increase in its stock price.
Most Powerful Force Impacting Stock PricesThe change in a company's future earnings potential, as reflected in earnings estimate revisions, and the near-term price movement of its stock are proven to be strongly correlated. That's partly because of the influence of institutional investors that use earnings and earnings estimates for calculating the fair value of a company's shares. An increase or decrease in earnings estimates in their valuation models simply results in higher or lower fair value for a stock, and institutional investors typically buy or sell it. Their transaction of large amounts of shares then leads to price movement for the stock.
For Equinix, rising earnings estimates and the consequent rating upgrade fundamentally mean an improvement in the company's underlying business. And investors' appreciation of this improving business trend should push the stock higher.
Harnessing the Power of Earnings Estimate RevisionsEmpirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements, so it could be truly rewarding if such revisions are tracked for making an investment decision. Here is where the tried-and-tested Zacks Rank stock-rating system plays an important role, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions.
The Zacks Rank stock-rating system, which uses four factors related to earnings estimates to classify stocks into five groups, ranging from Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record, with Zacks Rank #1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .
Earnings Estimate Revisions for EquinixFor the fiscal year ending December 2026, this data center operator is expected to earn $42.52 per share, which is unchanged compared with the year-ago reported number.
Analysts have been steadily raising their estimates for Equinix. Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company has increased 1.7%.
Bottom LineUnlike the overly optimistic Wall Street analysts whose rating systems tend to be weighted toward favorable recommendations, the Zacks rating system maintains an equal proportion of "buy" and "sell" ratings for its entire universe of more than 4,000 stocks at any point in time. Irrespective of market conditions, only the top 5% of the Zacks-covered stocks get a "Strong Buy" rating and the next 15% get a "Buy" rating. So, the placement of a stock in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks indicates its superior earnings estimate revision feature, making it a solid candidate for producing market-beating returns in the near term.
You can learn more about the Zacks Rank here >>>
The upgrade of Equinix to a Zacks Rank #2 positions it in the top 20% of the Zacks-covered stocks in terms of estimate revisions, implying that the stock might move higher in the near term.
Key Takeaways EQIX rose 38.9% in six months as AI, cloud and networking demand boosts digital infrastructure needs.First-quarter 2026 recurring revenues grew 10%, while interconnection revenues increased 9% year over year.Equinix had 46 major projects underway and has raised its dividend five times in the past five years. Shares of Equinix, Inc. (EQIX - Free Report) have gained 38.9% over the past six months compared with the industry’s rise of 8.7%.
The company remains a key beneficiary of the multi-year shift toward hybrid multicloud architectures and higher AI-driven data exchange needs. Product innovation in Fabric and continued expansion activity support longer-term growth and a durable dividend.
Last month, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) REIT reported first-quarter 2026 AFFO per share of $10.79, up 11.6%, but marginally missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Results reflected solid demand for digital infrastructure, even as higher costs weighed modestly on consensus comparisons. Annualized gross bookings of $378 million stood out in the quarter.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Factors Behind EQIX's Stock Price Surge: Will This Trend Last?Rising AI, cloud and networking workload lift demand for colocated and interconnected infrastructure across Equinix’s global footprint. Management noted that customer conversations have moved from piloting AI to enterprise-wide adoption at scale. The combination of edge proximity, interconnection density and sovereignty needs supports durable demand for Equinix’s neutral platform over multi-year investment cycles.
Equinix’s revenue base remains largely recurring, which helps convert bookings into predictable cash flow and supports operating leverage as utilization rises. In first-quarter 2026, recurring revenues grew 10% year over year on a normalized and constant currency basis. Given the growing demand for data exchanges across the world, Equinix is well-positioned to expand its revenue base. Management expects normalized monthly recurring revenue growth of 9%-10%in 2026.
The interconnection portfolio remains central as enterprises pursue hybrid multicloud architectures and need direct, high-performance connectivity. In first-quarter 2026, interconnection revenues increased 9% year over year on a normalized and constant currency basis. Operationally, net cabinet billing increased by 4,100, and net interconnection adds grew by 5,800, with a backlog of cabinets sold but not yet installed at record levels. These results build on the company’s scale advantage, which included surpassing 0.5 million interconnections worldwide by the end of 2025.
Equinix continues to invest to meet demand while using presales, disciplined site selection and partnerships to support returns on new capacity. In first-quarter 2026, the company had 46 major projects underway across 32 markets, including six xScale projects, with more than 70% of retail expansion capex directed to major metros. Total capital expenditures were $1.256 billion in the quarter, largely tied to IBX expansion and platform investment.
Equinix has maintained a shareholder return focus alongside growth investment. The company has increased its dividend five times in the last five years, and its five-year annualized dividend growth rate is 14.11%. While capital needs remain elevated, the recurring revenue model and growing AFFO per share outlook help support the dividend over time.
Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Chatham Lodging Trust REIT (CLDT - Free Report) and Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CLDT’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $1.27, which indicates year-over-year growth of 24.5%.
The consensus estimate for CUZ’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $2.93, which calls for a 3.2% increase from the year-ago period.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents funds from operations (FFO) — a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
Resources Investor Relations Journalists Agencies Client Login Send a Release News Products Contact , /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company®, today announced that Olivier Leonetti, Chief Financial Officer, and Phillip Konieczny, Senior Vice President of Finance, will present at the Nareit REITweek Conference on Wednesday, June 3, at 9:30 a.m. ET.
The presentation will be made available via webcast on the Investor Relations section of the Equinix website at www.equinix.com/investors.
About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) shortens the path to boundless connectivity anywhere in the world. Its digital infrastructure, data center footprint and interconnected ecosystems empower innovations that enhance our work, life and planet. Equinix connects economies, countries, organizations and communities, delivering seamless digital experiences and cutting-edge AI—quickly, efficiently and everywhere.
On a recent All-In Podcast episode dissecting SpaceX’s S-1 filing, guest investor Gavin Baker and the hosts framed Elon Musk’s privately held rocket and connectivity empire as something more ambitious than a high-growth tech company. David Friedberg argued that “having a space-based communication network, space-based data centers, and space-based communication back down to Earth wireless” creates “a backup for civilization” that governments cannot control. That framing is the philosophical core of the bull case for a $2 trillion valuation, and it matters for every public company building the terrestrial side of the AI stack.
The $2 Trillion Math Those raw S-1 numbers give the entire investment pitch real teeth. SpaceX generated a massive $18.674 billion in consolidated 2025 revenue, with its powerhouse Starlink Connectivity segment pulling in $11.4 billion of that total and printing a $4.4 billion operating profit. For Q1 2026, consolidated revenue held strong at $4.694 billion with Adjusted EBITDA tracking at $1.127 billion. Chamath Palihapitiya’s bullish take on the All-In Podcast has SpaceX setting the tone for a $2 trillion IPO valuation, which looks incredibly achievable once you bake in their exponential, multi-segment forward run rates.
The wild AI angle is what bridges pure science fiction directly to a Wall Street spreadsheet. SpaceX officially absorbed xAI back in February 2026, forming a heavy-hitting third operating segment alongside Space and Starlink. Their newly disclosed compute deal with Anthropic, paying a mind-boggling $1.25 billion every single month for access to the Colossus supercomputer clusters, validates this tech stack instantly, turning their AI division into a massive, multi-billion-dollar annual revenue machine.
Execution Edge: The 66-Day Data Center Baker noted SpaceX has compressed its data center build time from 122 days to 66 days, dramatically faster than competitors. Cursor’s Composer 2.5 model reportedly became “Pareto dominant” after just three to four weeks of reinforcement learning on SpaceX’s Colossus 2 cluster, with allegedly more tokens of coding data than exist on the public internet. SpaceX itself argues that “the key constraints in the continued growth of AI are physical” and that no other AI company has better control over the full physical stack.
The Tesla Bridge Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA | TSLA Price Prediction) is the public-market proxy. Tesla disclosed a $2 billion investment in SpaceX equity and a partnership to build the largest chip fab for vertically integrated semiconductor manufacturing at the Gigafactory Texas campus, per the company’s Q1 FY2026 8-K filing. Tesla shares closed at $426.01 on May 22, up 25% over the past year, with Polymarket assigning a 92% probability that SpaceX will carry a higher valuation than Tesla by June 30, 2026.
What It Means For The AI Infrastructure Trade The hyperscaler CapEx race is the backdrop. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) reported Q1 FY2027 revenue of $81.61 billion, up 85% year over year, with total supply-related commitments of $119.0 billion. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) posted Q3 FY2026 commercial RPO of $627 billion and an AI business at a $37 billion annualized run rate, up 123% year over year. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) guided 2026 CapEx of $175 to $185 billion, with Google Cloud backlog above $460 billion.
If Musk’s orbital compute layer delivers on Friedberg’s framing, every dollar Big Tech is committing to terrestrial racks becomes more competitive, not less. Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX) sits at the center of that terrestrial layer. Equinix carries a $105.5 billion market cap, trades at a forward PE of 61, and has 25 analyst Buy or Strong Buy ratings against six Holds or Sells. The stock is up 42% year to date through May 22.
Investor Takeaway If you’re looking to play this, remember that SpaceX is still private, so you have to look at the public markets for an indirect trade. Here is the big takeaway for investors: if that eye-popping $2 trillion valuation pitch is even halfway right, the massive AI infrastructure spending we’re seeing at NVIDIA, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Equinix isn’t the peak, it’s just the opening chapter of a massive buildout where space and ground tech supercharge each other.
Moving forward, you’ll want to watch three things closely: how deeply Tesla and SpaceX integrate their tech, how that massive Anthropic compute partnership plays out, and whether Elon Musk can actually maintain his wild 66-day construction cadence as the satellite constellation scales up.
Artificial intelligence (AI) mania has undeniably taken the stock market by storm, spurring speculative trades from investors who wouldn't normally make them. The fear of missing out is palpable.
The fact is, however, there's still much to be said for buying quality stocks in proven businesses and just letting time -- and cash dividend payments -- do most of the heavy lifting.
With that as the backdrop, here's a rundown of three great dividend stocks to buy and hold for the next 10 years. That's not to say they won't be worth owning past that point. It's just that the market is arguably underestimating just how strong the coming decade could be for its underlying companies.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Merck Take pharmaceutical giant Merck (MRK 0.58%) as an example. Its cancer-fighting wonder drug Keytruda will lose its U.S. patent protection in 2028, while its European patents will expire in 2030. Given that nearly half of the company's 2025 revenue came from Keytruda's sales of $32 billion, the stock has understandably underperformed since 2024 as this impending loss of patent protection inches closer.
Just don't lose sight of the fact that Merck's been making moves to offset the eventual loss of exclusivity for Keytruda. Case in point: Late last year, the company acquired Verona Pharma, adding its COPD treatment Ohtuvayre to its drug portfolio; analysts say it could eventually generate up to $4 billion in annual revenue.
Today's Change
(
-0.58
%) $
-0.70
Current Price
$
120.06
And just this month, Merck acquired Terns Pharmaceuticals, gaining access to its promising chronic myeloid leukemia treatment, TERN-701. It's still in early-stage trials, but the FDA's "breakthrough" designation underscores the drug's ultimate potential for approval.
All told, Merck's current pipeline consists of more than 50 trials, over 30 of which are in phase 3, and five of which are currently under FDA review. The company continues to suggest it has $70 billion in annual revenue just waiting to be generated by the drugs currently in development to replace Keytruda once its revenue is reduced to nil. It's just not going to reach that sales pace until the mid-2030s.
Simply making progress toward that target, however, should produce a bullish tailwind for Merck stock during these 10 years.
2. Verizon Verizon Communications (VZ +1.49%) isn't a growth stock by any stretch of the imagination. That's because the country's wireless market is as mature as it is saturated. Pew Research reports 98% of all adults living in the United States already own a mobile phone, for perspective. Population growth accounts for most of its business growth, and it's pretty slow these days.
The very nature of its business, however, still makes this name a fantastic dividend stock. Consumers may cut back on discretionary goods like apparel or postpone buying a new car when money gets tight. Few people are willing to let go of their mobile connection to the rest of the world, though. They'll pay whatever it takes to keep their phones turned on.
Today's Change
(
1.49
%) $
0.70
Current Price
$
47.64
Verizon just needs to make sure it's price-competitive -- which it is. In fact, the company's expecting to add between 750,000 and 1 million (net) new postpaid customers this year, adding to the 94 million it already serves. Not bad.
But there are a couple of other growth engines at work here that most investors may not fully appreciate.
One of them is Verizon's fixed wireless access (FWA) home internet service, which wirelessly provides consumers with broadband connectivity. This business now serves 6 million customers, adding more than 270,000 just last quarter, versus practically none as of 2021. This option is becoming an increasingly popular alternative in an industry that's long depended on cable companies' beefy coaxial lines connected directly to consumers' homes.
The other underappreciated growth driver here is Verizon's foray into artificial intelligence. While it's obviously not a hardware provider like Nvidia, Verizon's AI Connect arm helps institutions establish the communications and networking infrastructure needed to make the most of what AI can do for them. Alphabet and Meta Platforms are a couple of this division's current customers.
Newcomers will be plugging into a forward-looking dividend yield of 6%. That yield is based on a dividend, by the way, that's now been raised for 19 consecutive years.
3. Equinix Finally, add Equinix (EQIX +0.87%) to your list of dividend stocks to hold for the next 10 years. It's not a household name and may never be one. That doesn't mean it's not a terrific dividend holding, though.
Equinix is a data center owner/operator, leasing access to its AI-capable servers to organizations that can't -- or just don't want to -- build one of their own. Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, VMWare, and Zoom Communications are just some of its customers, contributing to last quarter's $2.44 billion in (largely recurring) revenue that was up 10% year over year. Profits are growing even faster now that the company has achieved meaningful scale.
The artificial intelligence data center business, of course, is a great one to be in right now. Mordor Intelligence expects the industry to grow at an average annual rate of 25% through 2031, although it could certainly continue growing at a strong double-digit pace after that.
That's not quite Equinix's big selling point to interested income investors, however. Neither is the fact that the company has now upped its yearly per-share payout for 11 consecutive years.
Today's Change
(
0.87
%) $
9.04
Current Price
$
1052.22
Rather, what makes this stock such a compelling income-producing prospect is the underlying company's structure. It's a real estate investment trust (REIT). That just means it doesn't pay corporate income taxes on its own profits, as long as it passes the majority of those profits along to shareholders in the form of dividends.
This ultimately means Equinix is a very efficient way for investors to plug into the fast-growing AI data center opportunity and begin collecting a meaningful, recurring return on their investment right away.
The forward-looking yield of just under 2% isn't exactly thrilling. Just keep in mind that the last quarterly dividend increase was a 10% improvement, extending a long streak of similar dividend growth.
As the tech sector hunts for reliable, carbon-free energy to power data centers, investors are looking at NuScale Power (SMR +5.43%) and Oklo (OKLO +0.04%) to see which stock is a better buy.
NuScale focuses on its certified reactor design to serve traditional utilities and industrial clients. Oklo takes a different route, planning to build and operate its own fast-fission plants with high-profile backing. Both firms are leading the shift toward modular nuclear power, but they carry very different financial profiles and development timelines.
The case for NuScale PowerNuScale Power is developing proprietary small modular reactor (SMR) technology and related plant services to generate carbon-free power. Its target markets include data centers, desalination plants, and commercial hydrogen production.
The company aims to be a leader among electric utility stocks by providing carbon-free electricity to industrial and commercial users. However, it has an exclusive commercialization partner, ENTRA1 Energy. That adds a layer of risk to the business because NuScale is obligated to make large milestone payments to ENTRA1 without guaranteed revenue contracts in return.
Nuscal hasn’t commercialized its technology, so it’s not generating any meaningful revenue yet and remains deep in losses. It doesn’t have any long-term debt, though, and ended the first quarter with $341 million in cash and cash equivalents and another $836 million in short-term investments. That’s nearly $1 billion that the company can bank on any time if it wants cash to run operations and fund growth.
The case for OkloOklo is developing fast-fission power plants, called Aurora powerhouses, and fuel recycling technology to produce carbon-free energy. It eventually aims to make money by selling electricity, targeting high-demand users like data centers and industrial facilities. It has already gained traction through a prepayment agreement with Meta Platforms (META 0.72%) and non-binding interest from Equinix (EQIX +0.87%). Oklo has also signed a master power agreement with Switch for 12 gigawatts (GW) of capacity. These agreements show strong interest from major technology companies looking for reliable energy.
Oklo is a pre-revenue company, as its power plants are still in the early stages of permitting and construction. It’s a loss-making company as it is investing heavily in engineering and regulatory approvals. Like NuScale, Oklo also doesn’t carry any long-term debt but has a massive cash balance of over $2 billion, thanks mainly to recent stock sale.
Risk profile comparisonNuScale faces risks because it has not yet signed binding contracts to deliver its reactor modules, which leaves its future revenue uncertain. It must also compete against large, state-supported entities like China National Nuclear Corporation and other global players in the nuclear sector. There are also concerns that the cost of its electricity might not be competitive against other energy sources in the U.S. Delays in the design or manufacture of its first commercial units could also harm its reputation and financial health.
Oklo has not yet built any powerhouses or secured binding purchase agreements, making its future performance difficult for investors to predict. Building fuel recycling facilities is also a complex process that could face regulatory hurdles or cost overruns. Finally, any negative public perception of nuclear energy could severely limit the demand for its technology.
Valuation comparisonWhile Oklo is valued based on high future earnings estimates, NuScale is currently priced relative to its sales because it has not yet reached profitability.
MetricNuScale PowerOkloForward P/En/a141.6xP/S ratio98.5xn/aSector benchmark uses the SPDR XLU sector ETF.
Valuation metrics sourced from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP) and may differ from other data providers.
Both Oklo and NuScale Power are riding the massive tailwinds of artificial intelligence (AI) data center energy demand and the U.S. government’s backing of nuclear energy. The Trump administration aims to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 GW by 2050 and is fast-tracking the development of new reactors.
Between the two stocks, though, I’d buy Oklo. That’s because of stronger collaborations and partnerships, as well as operational progress.
OKLO data by YCharts
Oklo is already part of multiple Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear pilot programs. It has a major July 4 target to achieve criticality (self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction) at its Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Texas.
It is also making progress in nuclear fuel recycling and is building facilities, since fast-fission plants can run on both fresh and used fuel. That’s a huge competitive advantage because the U.S. has a massive stockpile of unused energy such as plutonium left over from commercial nuclear waste , which the government wants to put to use. The DOE has just selected Oklo, along with a few other companies, for its Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program.
Oklo also has major partnerships. For example, it is collaborating with Nvidia (NVDA +0.34%) to use the tech giant’s AI computing power and software for nuclear research and development.
NuScale is the first company to win design approval for its SMRs from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Through programs like ENTRA1 Energy’s 6 GW deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), NuScale also has a strong project pipeline.
Yet, Oklo’s direct collaborations with the DOE and companies like Nvidia, and a massive cash balance, make it a tad “safer” than NuScale Power.
Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
Equinix is a member of our Finance group, which includes 832 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Equinix is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for EQIX's full-year earnings has moved 0.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the latest available data, EQIX has gained about 39.6% so far this year. At the same time, Finance stocks have gained an average of 0.6%. As we can see, Equinix is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
BOK Financial (BOKF - Free Report) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 8.9%.
The consensus estimate for BOK Financial's current year EPS has increased 4.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Equinix belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry, which includes 19 individual stocks and currently sits at #108 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 18.9% so far this year, so EQIX is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, BOK Financial belongs to the Banks - Southwest industry. This 19-stock industry is currently ranked #76. The industry has moved +4.8% year to date.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Equinix and BOK Financial as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 1.2% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Equinix due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Equinix, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Equinix Q1 AFFO & Revenues Miss Estimates on Higher ExpensesEquinix reported first-quarter 2026 AFFO per share of $10.79, up 11.6% from $9.67 a year ago but missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $10.89 by 0.9%.
Total revenues were $2.44 billion, up 9.8% year over year, but below the consensus mark of $2.51 billion by 2.6%. Results reflected solid demand for digital infrastructure, even as higher costs weighed modestly on consensus comparisons. Annualized gross bookings of $378 million stood out in the quarter.
Equinix Recurring Revenues Rise Across RegionsRecurring revenues were $2.33 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up from $2.09 billion a year ago, while non-recurring revenues were $113 million compared with $138 million in the prior-year quarter.
By geography, recurring revenues from the Americas, the EMEA and Asia Pacific rose 12.4%, 10.2% and 12.7%, respectively, year over year. Although non-recurring revenues from the EMEA increased 40.7%, they decreased 35.7% and 26.8% in the Americas and Asia Pacific, respectively.
Equinix Logs Record Bookings and Deepens AI MomentumEquinix delivered $378 million of annualized gross bookings in the quarter and cited the largest first-quarter bookings in the company’s history, leading to a record backlog. The company also reported record annualized presales of roughly $140 million, underscoring continued customer commitments even as deployments phase in over time.
Customer activity remained broad-based. Management noted that the company completed more than 3,800 transactions with over 3,100 unique customers and processed more than 20,000 self-service orders, indicating sustained engagement across its platform. About 60% of the company’s largest deals were described as AI-related, supporting high-density AI infrastructure demand.
Equinix Expands Operating Profit Despite High ExpensesEquinix generated operating income of $577 million in the first quarter of 2026, up from $458 million in the year-ago quarter, reflecting stronger underlying operating performance.
The company posted adjusted EBITDA of $1.25 billion, up 16.7% year over year, while adjusted EBITDA margin came in at 51%, marking a record margin level. The cost structure remained sizable, with cost of revenues rising 9.4% to $1.19 billion, sales and marketing expense increasing 5.2% to $241 million and general and administrative expense growing $4 million to $444 million.
Equinix Maintains Liquidity While Funding Heavy InvestmentEquinix ended the quarter with a sizable liquidity cushion and continued to invest for growth. The company cited roughly $7.1 billion of available liquidity and about $20 billion of total gross debt, with net leverage of 3.8x, reflecting a balance sheet positioned to support expansion while managing funding costs.
Capital intensity remained high. Total capital expenditures were $1.26 billion in the quarter, including $32 million of recurring capital expenditures and $1.22 billion of non-recurring spend.
Equinix Raises 2026 Outlook After Strong Q1 ExecutionEquinix raised its full-year 2026 outlook across key metrics following the quarter. The company now expects full-year revenues of $10.144-$10.244 billion, compared to the prior guided range of $10,123-10,223. Management predicts an adjusted EBITDA of $5.165-$5.245 billion and an adjusted EBITDA margin of about 51%.
AFFO is projected at $4.198-$4.278 billion, with AFFO per share expected at $42.31-$43.11, up from $41.93-42.74 guided earlier.
For second-quarter 2026, management guided revenues to $2.571-$2.611 billion, implying a 9-10% increase over the prior quarter. Adjusted EBITDA is expected in the range of $1.349-$1.389 billion, with around a 52-53% margin.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Estimates review followed a upward path over the past two months.
VGM ScoresAt this time, Equinix has a subpar Growth Score of D, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with an F. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of D on the value side, putting it in the bottom 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of F. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook Equinix has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.
Investor interest in the AI space continues to grow, with many focusing on AI infrastructure plays to meet the increasing demand for data centers or on semiconductor stocks building the components necessary for AI platforms to function. One potentially overlooked area that is vital to AI but not directly related to the technology itself is land. Electricity consumption from data centers alone in the United States could triple that of the entire nation of Ireland by 2028, and generating that much power requires massive amounts of land.
If demand continues at its current rate, investors may expect an increasingly contentious battle for prime land used by data center developers—space that is open and accessible, with strong power infrastructure, not susceptible to natural disasters, and so on. Two real estate investment trusts (REITs) and an exchange-traded fund focused on data center real estate and development provide investors with exposure to this high-demand but underappreciated aspect of the AI boom.
Get Equinix alerts:
Equinix's Data Center Strategy Positions the REIT for Continued GrowthEquinix Inc. NASDAQ: EQIX is a REIT specifically focused on data centers, operating more than 280 different centers around the world. Shares are up about 40% year-to-date (YTD) but have essentially plateaued since late April. One reason for this is that the company's Q1 2026 results were, in some respects, not as impressive as analysts had predicted: revenue growth of 10% year-over-year (YOY), for instance, was not as robust as expected.
Equinix Today
$1,052.88 +9.71 (+0.93%)
As of 10:26 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$710.52▼
$1,128.68Dividend Yield1.96%
P/E Ratio72.76
Price Target$1,143.60
Still, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Equinix and its advantageous position as data center demand grows. For one, recurring revenue is growing, as are adjusted EBITDA margin and adjusted funds from operations. Further, management raised full-year guidance on revenue and EBITDA in the latest report.
Equinix is also positioned to boost its capacity dramatically going forward, with plans for capital expenditures of up to $4.1 billion in 2026 on 46 major new projects. Backlog and bookings are both up as well, demonstrating the company's ability to appeal to a growing list of customers.
All of these signs point to future potential, and so it's no surprise that Equinix has a strong appeal across Wall Street. 23 out of 29 analysts view the firm favorably and have assigned a Buy or equivalent rating.
A Fast-Growing Data Center Dividend Yield PlayDigital Realty Trust Inc. NYSE: DLR takes a similar approach to Equinix, as it is a REIT that owns and operates data centers and provides colocation solutions. In terms of sales, its 16% YOY growth for Q1 2026 outpaced Equinix's performance.
Digital Realty Trust Today
DLR
Digital Realty Trust
$185.03 +2.19 (+1.20%)
As of 10:26 AM Eastern
This is a fair market value price provided by Massive. Learn more.
52-Week Range$146.23▼
$208.14Dividend Yield2.64%
P/E Ratio48.82
Price Target$215.89
The firm also brought its total backlog to $1.8 billion during the quarter while achieving record interconnection bookings of $98 million. Management raised full-year guidance on funds from operations to between $8 and $8.10, representing growth of about 9% YOY at the midpoint.
As a REIT, Digital Realty is obligated to pay out a majority of its earnings as dividends, and itsDLR 2.6% dividend yield may appeal to investors while also outpacing Equinix on this metric. Like its larger rival, Digital Realty is favored by many analysts, as 21 out of 29 call DLR shares a Buy.
The firm also has upside potential of more than 10% according to its consensus price target, even after already returning more than 20% YTD.
A Data Center ETF, But Not a Pure-Play InvestmentFor investors not keen to pick individual names in the data center land grab, the Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF NASDAQ: DTCR offers a convenient way to access multiple companies in a single investment. This ETF holds a portfolio of more than two dozen global firms with an interest in data center infrastructure.
Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF Today
DTCR
Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF
$31.33 +0.24 (+0.77%)
As of 10:09 AM Eastern
52-Week Range$17.85▼
$32.79Dividend Yield0.73%
Assets Under Management$2.24 billion
DTCR has positions in Equinix and Digital Realty Trust—indeed, these are the two largest holdings in the portfolio by percentage, representing close to a quarter of the total basket. It supplements these with a collection of other data center REITs, semiconductor manufacturers, and digital infrastructure players.
Investors should note that DTCR is not a pure-play data center real estate bet, given its chip-maker holdings. This makes it suitable for those looking for a broader play on AI infrastructure, rather than a focus on land and property directly. Still, it provides a modest dividend yield of 0.7% as a bonus on top of YTD returns of about 50%. For an expense ratio of 0.50%—somewhat higher than most passively managed funds, but perhaps worthwhile given the unique theme—investors can leave the portfolio management to someone else while reaping the rewards to be found in the fast-growing AI infrastructure space.
Should You Invest $1,000 in Equinix Right Now?Before you consider Equinix, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Equinix wasn't on the list.
While Equinix currently has a Moderate Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.
View The Five Stocks Here
Looking to profit from the electric vehicle mega-trend? Click the link to see our list of which EV stocks show the most long-term potential.
For some investors, start-up Oklo (OKLO +0.04%) has already been a millionaire maker. The nuclear energy stock has more than quadrupled since coming to the market two years ago. Indeed, at one point in 2025, Oklo stock had risen more than 700% year to date, enough to turn a six-figure investment into $1 million or more.
Since hitting an all-time high in mid-October of last year, Oklo has had more sobering market days. Its valuation had gotten absurdly high -- its market cap pushed above $30 billion with no revenue -- and anxiety around its future has brought the share price down to sub-$70 a pop.
That's still a lot for a company that doesn't have regulatory approval to operate its reactor commercially. Yet, the sell-off will likely make investors wonder whether Oklo's best days are still ahead or if its millionaire-making magic has vanished.
Today's Change
(
0.04
%) $
0.02
Current Price
$
57.88
Promising partnerships, but the company's economics are still unknown Oklo could be on the cusp of reinventing how nuclear power is generated and sold. That might be overstating it a bit -- the liquid-metal fast reactor technology has been around for decades -- but its business model has yet to be tried commercially.
In a nutshell, Oklo wants to deploy small nuclear reactors for on-site power generation. "Deploy" is the keyword there: It doesn't want to sell reactors to clients. It wants to set up the reactors itself and sell power under long-term agreements. This would create recurring revenue, similar to how a utility companies make money month after month. The difference, of course, is that Oklo wouldn't be servicing neighborhoods but large customers, potentially data centers, for reliable, always-on power.
A rendering of an Oklo powerhouse. Image source: Oklo.
It's unclear how much revenue Oklo's reactors could generate, but the company has offered some glimpses into its potential economics. In 2024, CEO Jacob DeWitte told Reuters that Oklo's 15-megawatt Aurora powerhouse could cost about $70 million, with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of between $80 and $130 per megawatt-hour (MWh), depending on location and use. In simplest terms, that is roughly the average price Oklo would need to make to cover the costs of construction and ongoing operation.
That range isn't dirt cheap (Reuters said financial services firm Lazard put utility-scale solar at roughly $38 to $78 per MWh), but if Oklo's pitch of always-on power is more valuable, clients might be willing to pay extra for the reliability.
To date, Oklo has secured important partnerships with Meta (META 0.72%), Switch, and Equinix (EQIX +0.87%) and has a potential customer pipeline of 14 gigawatts. Of course, revenue-wise, this means nothing until Oklo has an operating reactor in place. And it could be another two years before commercial operations can actually start.
Since Oklo is such a young company -- and in the nascent industry of microreactors -- it could be several years before it finds its footing. Even when it does have reactors operating, there's no telling how much it will cost -- or charge customers -- to generate power or whether its LCOE will be competitive enough to grow this company into a profitable enterprise.
In short, this company has a long way to go before those who buy in at its current share price will be millionaires, and there's no guarantee that will happen. At this point, investors seeking less risk might want to gain exposure to Oklo indirectly through a nuclear energy exchange-traded fund (ETF) rather than invest in the company outright.
Smart money is piling into data centers and senior housing. One top activist REIT investor is making contrarian bets. INVH and NHI could be overlooked beneficiaries.
The smartest technology analyst you’ve probably never heard of just published a presentation that reframes the entire AI investment thesis — and if you’re still thinking about this as a software story, you’re already behind.
That realization points to a specific set of companies — in power generation, grid infrastructure, semiconductors, data centers, and enterprise software — that are positioned to get paid no matter which AI model “wins.” The picks-and-shovels playbook has worked through every major technology transition in history. Here’s why it may work again now, and exactly where to look.
One of the most useful documents I’ve read on artificial intelligence this year doesn’t predict what’s going to happen. It explains what questions investors should be asking.
The presentation is called AI Eats the World, and it was put together by Benedict Evans.
If you’re not familiar with Evans, he spent years as a partner at Andreessen Horowitz after a career in equity research and telecommunications strategy. Unlike many technology commentators, Evans approaches technology as both an investor and an economist. He spends very little time making grand predictions and a great deal of time thinking about incentives, business models, capital allocation, and how value actually gets captured.
That last point is important.
The technology industry has a long history of creating enormous value while simultaneously destroying shareholder capital. Railroads changed America. Airlines changed the world. Telecommunications networks connected the globe. Investors who owned the wrong companies during those revolutions often discovered that being right about the future and making money are two very different things.
That may end up being the most important lesson from the current AI boom.
Right now, everyone is obsessed with artificial intelligence. Every earnings call mentions it. Every venture capitalist is funding it. Every corporate executive is trying to explain how it fits into their business model. Every stock promoter on social media has discovered that adding the letters “AI” to a company description is apparently worth an extra 20% on the share price.
Evans takes a step back and asks a simple question: What if AI is not primarily a software story? What if it’s a capital spending story?
The numbers are staggering. Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta are expected to spend roughly $700 billion on capital expenditures in 2026. The four largest technology companies are planning to spend nearly three-quarters of a trillion dollars in a single year building infrastructure — more than double what they were spending only a few years ago.
For perspective, Evans notes that global telecommunications capital spending runs roughly $300 billion annually. Global oil and gas capital spending is around $1 trillion. Artificial intelligence has become one of the largest infrastructure construction projects in human history.
Everyone focuses on Nvidia (NVDA) because the stock has become the poster child of the AI era. Evans points out that Nvidia can’t get enough capacity from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM) fast enough to satisfy demand. Semiconductor manufacturers are scrambling. Memory suppliers are scrambling. Data center developers are scrambling. Electric utilities are scrambling. Construction companies are scrambling.
That observation leads to the first investment conclusion: if AI really does transform the economy, the biggest winners may not be software companies. They may be the businesses selling picks, shovels, and electricity.
The Power Story Everyone Is Still Underestimating
Every AI query requires electricity. Every inference requires electricity. Every data center requires electricity. The more you study the AI boom, the clearer it becomes that power generation and transmission are among the most overlooked investment themes in the market.
The Bottleneck Nobody Is Talking About
One of Evans’ most important observations is that the bottleneck isn’t just power generation. It’s transmission. You can build all the generation capacity you want — if you can’t move electricity from where it’s produced to where it’s needed, the entire system breaks down.
Data Centers Are the New Office Buildings
Evans highlights another data point that deserves more attention: data center construction spending has now surpassed office construction spending in the United States. For decades, office buildings were the physical infrastructure of the knowledge economy. Today, the knowledge economy is building server farms instead.
That shift is bullish for data center REITs.
The Commodity Risk Nobody Wants to Admit
Here is where Evans makes his most controversial argument, and it’s one worth taking seriously.
Large language models are increasingly starting to look similar. Performance differences exist, but they appear to be narrowing. There are no obvious network effects. There are no obvious switching costs. There is no guarantee that today’s AI leaders will maintain pricing power.
That should sound familiar. Telecommunications companies spent trillions building networks. Consumers captured most of the benefit. Application developers captured much of the profit. Network operators often earned mediocre returns.
If AI models become commodities, the real winners will be the businesses built on top of those models. History provides a useful guide. The internet created enormous fortunes — and most of those fortunes were not made by fiber-optic cable manufacturers. They were made by Amazon, Google, Netflix, Meta, and thousands of software businesses that used the infrastructure to solve specific customer problems.
Evans believes the same dynamic may play out in AI. The real opportunities may emerge in vertical software, workflow automation, healthcare administration, legal technology, customer service automation, and business process management.
The Consultants and the Equipment Makers
One chart in the presentation is worth pausing on: despite all the excitement surrounding ChatGPT, only a small percentage of users actually pay for the service. Many people use it. Far fewer depend on it.
Technology adoption typically follows a predictable path. People experiment. Businesses test. Consultants get hired. Pilot programs proliferate. Years later, mission-critical applications emerge. We are still early in that process — and that creates real opportunity.
The Only Honest Conclusion
The final lesson from Evans’ presentation may be the most valuable: nobody knows how this ends. Nobody.
Every platform shift looks obvious in hindsight. Personal computers, the internet, smartphones — each seemed inevitable after the fact. At the time, each transition was filled with failed business models, bankruptcies, false starts, and wildly incorrect predictions. Artificial intelligence will be no different. Some of today’s stars will disappear. Some of today’s forgotten companies will become tomorrow’s giants.
As investors, the job isn’t to predict the future with certainty. It’s to identify situations where the payoff is attractive if you’re right and the downside is manageable if you’re wrong.
That’s why power infrastructure, data centers, semiconductor equipment, and software businesses with real customers and real cash flow keep coming back as the most defensible positions. The AI future may be uncertain. The need for electricity, computing capacity, and business productivity improvements is not.
Evans closes his presentation by suggesting that every AI question ultimately has one of two answers: “Nobody knows,” or “What happened the last time everything changed?”
Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $1,089.15, moving +1.13% from the previous trading session. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.41% gain on the day. At the same time, the Dow added 1.73%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.09%.
The stock of data center operator has fallen by 1.01% in the past month, lagging the Finance sector's gain of 0.2% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.59%.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Equinix in its upcoming release. The company is expected to report EPS of $10.68, up 7.77% from the prior-year quarter. Alongside, our most recent consensus estimate is anticipating revenue of $2.59 billion, indicating a 14.82% upward movement from the same quarter last year.
In terms of the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $42.52 per share and a revenue of $10.24 billion, indicating changes of +10.93% and +11.09%, respectively, from the former year.
Investors should also take note of any recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Equinix. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Therefore, positive revisions in estimates convey analysts' confidence in the business performance and profit potential.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Currently, Equinix is carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Digging into valuation, Equinix currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 25.33. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 14.61 of its industry.
Meanwhile, EQIX's PEG ratio is currently 1.8. The PEG ratio bears resemblance to the frequently used P/E ratio, but this parameter also includes the company's expected earnings growth trajectory. The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry had an average PEG ratio of 2.36 as trading concluded yesterday.
The REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry is part of the Finance sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 102, which puts it in the top 42% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Ensure to harness Zacks.com to stay updated with all these stock-shifting metrics, among others, in the next trading sessions.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm to discuss their rights and options at no cost or obligation. We would handle any matter on a contingent fee basis, whereby you would not be responsible for out-of-pocket payment of our legal fees or expenses.
Shareholders should contact the firm immediately as there may be limited time to enforce your rights.
, /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLC, an investor rights law firm, is investigating whether certain officers and directors of Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX) breached their fiduciary duties to shareholders.
If you currently own Equinix stock and are a long-term shareholder, you may be able to seek corporate governance reforms, the return of funds back to the company, a court-approved financial incentive award, or other relief and benefits. Please click here to learn more about your legal rights and options or contact Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or [email protected] or [email protected].
Why Your Participation Matters:
Shareholder involvement can help improve a company's policies, practices, and oversight mechanisms to create a more transparent, accountable, and effectively managed organization, which can enhance shareholder value.
Halper Sadeh LLC represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLC
One World Trade Center
85th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
[email protected]
[email protected]
https://www.halpersadeh.com
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- #aiinfrastructure--Zenlayer and Equinix expand their global collaboration to support distributed AI infrastructure worldwide.
Columbia Research Enhanced Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:CRED) screens U.S. real estate companies for quality and value. Income investors rely on CRED for steady distributions funded by rent checks, data-center power contracts, and warehouse leases. With the 10-year Treasury at 4.56% and the Fed funds upper bound at 3.75% after three cuts since September 2025, CRED’s payout durability depends on whether underlying REITs can grow FFO faster than refinancing costs erode it. The income looks well-covered, but the yield is modest.
How CRED Pays You CRED passes through dividends from publicly traded U.S. equity REITs screened for quality and value, with no options, leverage, or return of capital games. The distribution reflects what underlying landlords pay out, less the management fee. Because Columbia does not publish a live yield we can verify, we will not invent one, but the fund tracks the broader REIT universe closely. For reference, Vanguard Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA:VNQ) yields 2.9% at 0.13% expense ratio against $34.9 billion in assets.
The Three Holdings That Drive Income Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX | EQIX Price Prediction) is the data-center anchor. The company raised its quarterly dividend to $5.16 in 2026, its 11th consecutive year of dividend growth. Coverage is strong: 2026 AFFO guidance of $41.93 to $42.74 per share dwarfs the roughly $20.64 annualized payout. Total debt rose to $21.4 billion from $17.6 billion year over year and free cash flow turned negative $2.6 billion as Equinix invested in new capacity. That is growth spending, not distress, but it leaves the dividend dependent on AFFO continuing to compound. CEO Adaire Fox-Martin told investors "demand for our solutions has never been higher."
Prologis (NYSE:PLD) is the industrial workhorse. The Q1 2026 dividend stepped to $1.07, annualized $4.28 against Core FFO guidance of $6.07 to $6.23. That is a payout ratio in the high 60s, comfortable for an industrial REIT. Cash same-store NOI accelerated to nearly 9% growth, leverage improved to 4.8x debt-to-Adjusted EBITDA from 5.3x, and the company signed 228 million square feet of leases in 2025. For dividend safety, this is the cleanest holding.
Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) supplies the highest yield at 4.1%. Simon raised the quarterly dividend 7% to $2.25 in May. Against 2026 Real Estate FFO guidance of $13.10 to $13.25, the $9.00 annualized payout sits near a 68% ratio. Retailer sales per square foot climbed nearly 12% to $819 on a trailing basis, and U.S. mall occupancy held at 96%. Simon cut the dividend in 2020 from $2.10 to $1.30, but the payout has been rebuilt past pre-pandemic levels.
Rates, Total Return, and the VNQ Comparison Treasury yields near a 97th percentile of the trailing year mean REITs compete harder for income dollars, and refinancing pressure has not fully released. CRED has delivered solid total returns: shares are $23, up nearly 16% year to date and nearly 12% over one year. That edges VNQ’s nearly 12% YTD print, suggesting the quality screen has earned its keep. VNQ remains the cheaper, broader option for the entire MSCI U.S. real estate universe; CRED tilts toward higher-conviction REITs without sacrificing diversification.
The Verdict CRED’s distribution looks safe. The income engine is anchored by REITs with FFO payout ratios in the 60s to 70s, intact dividend growth streaks, and improving balance sheets. The caveat is yield: investors expecting 5%-plus distributions should look elsewhere. For those wanting REIT income that survives the next rate scare without a cut, CRED’s holdings give it a credible claim. For those prioritizing cost and breadth, VNQ at 0.13% remains hard to beat.
Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF (VNQI +0.53%) offers low-cost, broad international diversification, while iShares Select U.S. REIT ETF (ICF +1.12%) provides concentrated exposure to dominant domestic real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Investing in real estate offers a path to diversification and income, but the geography of those assets matters. The iShares ETF focuses on the heavyweights of the American market, while the Vanguard fund looks abroad to more than 30 different countries. This analysis compares these two strategies to see how concentration, international exposure, and cost impact investors.
Snapshot (cost & size)MetricVNQIICFIssuerVanguardiSharesExpense ratio0.12%0.32%1-yr return (as of Jun. 8, 2026)-0.75%12.2%Dividend yield4.7%2.4%Beta0.921.0AUM$3.9 billion$2.1 billionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.
The Vanguard fund is significantly more affordable for long-term holders, sporting an expense ratio of 0.12% compared to the 0.32% charged by the iShares ETF. Income-focused investors may also find the international approach more appealing, as VNQI provides a higher payout with a dividend yield of 4.7%. This represents a yield gap of 2.3 percentage points over the iShares fund's 2.4% yield.
Performance & risk comparisonMetricVNQIICFMax drawdown (5 yr)(35.80%)(34.70%)Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return)$895$1,152What's insideThe iShares Select U.S. REIT ETF focuses on a narrow portfolio of 30 holdings, providing concentrated exposure to the largest and most dominant U.S. real estate investment trusts. Its largest positions include Prologis (PLD +1.50%) at 8.09%, Equinix (EQIX +0.87%) at 7.85%, and American Tower (AMT +1.10%) at 7.77%. Realty Income (O +1.32%), a REIT popular among income investors for its monthly payouts, also earns a spot in the top 10.
This fund, which launched in 2001, manages $2.1 billion in assets under management (AUM). ICF paid out $1.65 per share over the trailing 12 months.
In contrast, the Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF offers a much broader reach with more than 700 holdings across international markets. Top positions include the Australian firm Goodman Group (GMG +2.24%) at 3.94%, alongside Japanese companies Mitsubishi Estate at 3.09% and Mitsui Fudosan at 2.71%. Launched in 2010, Vanguard’s fund tracks the S&P Global ex-U.S. Property Index. VNQI paid out $2.16 per share over the trailing 12 months.
For more guidance on ETF investing, check out the full guide at this link.
What this means for investorsThe Vanguard and iShares ETFs both hold a basket of REITs, but that's basically where the similarities end. VNQI is nearly twice the size in AUM, is considerably cheaper, has a significantly higher yield, and is far more diversified. Sign me up, right? But as smart investors know, sometimes a stock is cheap for a reason.
If you'd bought Vanguard's ETF five years ago, you'd be sitting on a loss now. This is partly reflected in the elevated dividend -- a stock's price and its dividend have an inverse relationship, all things equal. So when the price goes down, the dividend yield rises.
In contrast, an investment in iShares' fund would have made you money. Past performance is no guarantee of future results, of course. But I would opt for an ETF with a better track record and lower yield than a fund with a history of losing money.
Erin Kennedy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends American Tower, Equinix, Goodman Group, and Prologis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Key Takeaways Equinix benefits from enterprise AI adoption, driving demand for its digital infrastructure platform.EQIX raised 2026 guidance after strong Q1 growth in revenue, EBITDA and AFFO per share.Equinix has 46 major projects underway and has sold about 25% of its 2026 retail expansion capacity. Equinix (EQIX - Free Report) stands out as a cornerstone of the global digital infrastructure ecosystem as digital transformation reshapes industries worldwide.
Analysts seem bullish on this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock. The estimate revision trend for 2026 funds from operations (FFO) per share indicates a favorable outlook for the company, with estimates moving north over the past two months.
Over the past three months, shares of Equinix have increased 7.6%, outperforming the real estate market’s 5.5% gain. Given its solid fundamentals and positive estimate revisions, the stock is likely to keep performing well in the quarters ahead.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What Makes Equinix a Solid Choice?AI-Driven Architecture Shift: Management noted that customer discussions have evolved from AI pilots to enterprise-scale adoption. As inference workloads and agentic AI become increasingly distributed, enterprises are placing compute and data exchange closer to users and data sources. These designs need private, low-latency connectivity across clouds, networks and model providers, and increasingly require controls to keep workloads within specific jurisdictions. This combination of edge proximity, interconnection density and sovereignty needs to support durable demand for Equinix’s neutral platform over multi-year investment cycles.
Operating Leverage and Higher Outlook: Equinix’s revenue base remains largely recurring, which helps convert bookings into predictable cash flow and supports operating leverage as utilization rises. In first-quarter 2026, recurring revenues grew 10% year over year on a normalized and constant currency basis, and total revenues increased 8% on the same basis to $2.444 billion. Adjusted EBITDA rose 13% on a normalized basis to $1.245 billion, while AFFO surpassed $1 billion for the first time, reaching $1.065 billion, and AFFO per share increased 10% on a normalized basis to $10.79. Reflecting this execution, management raised full-year 2026 guidance to revenues of $10.144-$10.244 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $5.165-$5.245 billion and AFFO per share of $42.31-$43.11, while indicating normalized monthly recurring revenues growth of 9-10%.
Capacity Expansion and Nordic Pipeline: Equinix continues to invest in capacity expansion to meet growing demand while using presales, disciplined site selection and partnerships to support returns on new developments. In first-quarter 2026, the company had 46 major projects underway across 32 markets, including six xScale projects, with more than 70% of retail expansion capex directed to major metros. Management also noted that about 25% of the 2026 retail capacity expansion has already been sold, supporting visibility as new capacity comes online.
Financial Flexibility: Equinix continues to balance expansion with access to diversified funding sources. As of March 31, 2026, it cited about $7.1 billion of available liquidity, including cash, short-term investments and an undrawn revolving credit facility. Equinix also ended the quarter with about $1.2 billion of common stock capacity remaining under its at-the-market program, preserving additional flexibility if needed.
Dividend Profile: Equinix has focused on maintaining a shareholder return. With fourth-quarter 2025 results, it raised the quarterly dividend by 10% to $5.16 per share, marking the 11th consecutive year of dividend growth. Equinix has increased its dividend five times in the last five years, and its five-year annualized dividend growth rate is 14.11%. Management expects 2026 cash dividends of about $2.037 billion.
Other Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the broader REIT sector are Cousins Properties (CUZ - Free Report) and American Tower (AMT - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank of #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CUZ’s 2026 FFO per share is pegged at $2.93, which indicates year-over-year growth of 3.17%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMT’s full-year FFO per share is pinned at $10.95, which suggests an increase of 1.77% from the year-ago period.
Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.
