Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) vs Public Storage (PSA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | PSA | 2.7% revenue growth vs COLD's -2.4% |
| Quality / Margins | PSA | 39.5% net margin vs COLD's -4.4% |
| Stability / Safety | PSA | Beta 0.45 vs COLD's 0.89, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PSA | +5.1% vs COLD's -37.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PSA | 9.4% ROA vs COLD's -1.4%, ROIC 13.5% vs 0.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Americold is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates temperature-controlled warehouses — primarily for food products — across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from long-term leases with food producers, processors, and retailers, supplemented by value-added services like inventory management. Its competitive advantage lies in its massive scale as the world's largest publicly traded refrigerated warehouse REIT, creating a network effect with strategic locations near key transportation hubs.
Public Storage is a real estate investment trust that owns and operates self-storage facilities across the United States and Europe. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from storage units — with additional income from tenant insurance, truck rentals, and property management services — making it one of the largest self-storage operators globally. The company's competitive advantage lies in its massive scale, prime locations, and strong brand recognition that creates pricing power and operational efficiency.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
PSA leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). COLD leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PSA is the larger business by revenue, generating $4.8B annually — 1.8x COLD's $2.6B. PSA is the more profitable business, keeping 39.5% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to COLD's -4.4%. On growth, PSA holds the edge at +3.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.6B | $4.8B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $375M | $3.7B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$115M | $1.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$205M | $3.1B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.9% | +73.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.3% | +53.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -4.4% | +39.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -7.9% | +65.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.2% | +3.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -138.5% | +21.3% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, PSA's 14.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than COLD's 21.8x.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.8B | $53.9B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $8.2B | $63.8B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -33.48x | 34.08x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 30.53x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 4.57x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 21.83x | 14.00x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.47x | 11.17x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.31x | 5.78x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 16.91x |
Profitability & Efficiency
PSA delivers a 20.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $20 in annual profit, vs $-4 for COLD. PSA carries lower financial leverage with a 1.10x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to COLD's 1.54x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PSA scores 5/9 vs COLD's 1/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.9% | +20.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.4% | +9.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +0.1% | +13.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.1% | +17.1% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.54x | 1.10x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.4B | $9.9B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $137M | $318M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4.5B | $10.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 11.19x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PSA five years ago would be worth $16,046 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,057 for COLD. Over the past 12 months, PSA leads with a +5.1% total return vs COLD's -37.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PSA at 4.7% vs COLD's -18.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.5% | +18.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -37.6% | +5.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.3% | +14.8% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -49.4% | +60.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +13.5% | +64.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -18.2% | +4.7% |
Risk & Volatility
PSA is the less volatile stock with a 0.45 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than COLD's 0.89 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. PSA currently trades 95.2% from its 52-week high vs COLD's 58.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.89x | 0.45x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $23.05 | $322.49 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $10.10 | $256.54 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +58.1% | +95.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.8 | 64.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.3M | 959K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates COLD as "Buy" and PSA as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 5.4% upside for COLD (target: $14) vs -1.9% for PSA (target: $301).
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PSAPublic Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.11 | $301.22 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 19 | 36 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 100 | 40.95 | -59.0% |
| Public Storage (PSA) | 100 | 129.98 | +30.0% |
Public Storage (PSA) returned +60% over 5 years vs Americold Realty Tr… (COLD)'s -49%. A $10,000 investment in PSA 5 years ago would be worth $16,046 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | $1.5B | $2.6B | +74.6% |
| Public Storage (PSA) | $2.6B | $4.8B | +88.4% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.5B (2016) to $2.6B (2025) — a 6.4% CAGR. Public Storage's revenue grew from $2.6B (2016) to $4.8B (2025) — a 7.3% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 0.3% | -4.4% | -1430.1% |
| Public Storage (PSA) | 56.8% | 37.3% | -34.4% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s net margin went from 0% (2016) to -4% (2025). Public Storage's net margin went from 57% (2016) to 37% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 82.4 | 311.1 | +277.5% |
| Public Storage (PSA) | 31.1 | 28.8 | -7.4% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. has traded in a 82x–311x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-33x. Public Storage has traded in a 12x–38x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~34x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | -0.35 | -0.4 | -14.3% |
| Public Storage (PSA) | 6.81 | 9.01 | +32.3% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.35 (2016) to $-0.40 (2025). Public Storage's EPS grew from $6.81 (2016) to $9.01 (2025) — a 3% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. generated $0M FCF in 2025 (+100% vs 2021). Public Storage generated $3B FCF in 2025 (+40% vs 2021).
COLD vs PSA: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is COLD or PSA a better buy right now?
Public Storage (PSA) offers the better valuation at 34.1x trailing P/E (30.5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) a "Buy" — based on 19 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — COLD or PSA?
Over the past 5 years, Public Storage (PSA) delivered a total return of +60.5%, compared to -49.4% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD). A $10,000 investment in PSA five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PSA returned +64.9% versus COLD's +13.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — COLD or PSA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Public Storage (PSA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.45β versus Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s 0.89β — meaning COLD is approximately 97% more volatile than PSA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Public Storage (PSA) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 110% versus 154% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — COLD or PSA?
Public Storage (PSA) is the more profitable company, earning 37.3% net margin versus -4.4% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. — meaning it keeps 37.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PSA leads at 70.6% versus 0.3% for COLD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PSA leads at 72.8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is COLD or PSA more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for COLD: 5.4% to $14.11.
06Which pays a better dividend — COLD or PSA?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is COLD or PSA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Public Storage (PSA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.45)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (PSA: +64.9%, COLD: +13.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between COLD and PSA?
Both stocks operate in the Real Estate sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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