AMT vs IRM

For growth investors, Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) is the stronger pick with 12.

2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 5. 1% for American Tower Corporation (AMT). American Tower Corporation (AMT) offers the better valuation at 33. 4x trailing P/E (27. 5x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate American Tower Corporation (AMT) a "Buy" — based on 49 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.

On trailing P/E, American Tower Corporation (AMT) is the cheapest at 33.

4x versus Iron Mountain Incorporated at 269. 5x. On forward P/E, American Tower Corporation is actually cheaper at 27. 5x.

Over the past 5 years, Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) delivered a total return of +249.

9%, compared to -13. 3% for American Tower Corporation (AMT). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IRM returned +314. 2% versus AMT's +114. 4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), American Tower Corporation (AMT) is the lower-risk stock at -0.

04β versus Iron Mountain Incorporated's 1. 10β — meaning IRM is approximately -3041% more volatile than AMT relative to the S&P 500.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) is pulling ahead at 12.

2% versus 5. 1% for American Tower Corporation (AMT). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: American Tower Corporation grew EPS 11. 8% year-over-year, compared to -19. 7% for Iron Mountain Incorporated. Over a 3-year CAGR, IRM leads at 10. 6% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

American Tower Corporation (AMT) is the more profitable company, earning 23.

8% net margin versus 2. 1% for Iron Mountain Incorporated — meaning it keeps 23. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AMT leads at 45. 8% versus 20. 4% for IRM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMT leads at 73. 7%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, American Tower Corporation (AMT) trades at 27.

5x forward P/E versus 58. 6x for Iron Mountain Incorporated — 31. 1x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for AMT: 20. 1% to $216. 33.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

American Tower Corporation (AMT) offers the highest yield at 3. 7%, versus 2. 3% for Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM).

For long-horizon retirement investors, American Tower Corporation (AMT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0.

04), 3. 7% yield, +114. 4% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AMT: +114. 4%, IRM: +314. 2%), 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.

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.

In terms of investment character: AMT is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; IRM is a mid-cap quality compounder stock. 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.