Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD) vs Prologis, Inc. (PLD) 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 | PLD | 2.2% revenue growth vs COLD's -2.4% |
| Quality / Margins | PLD | 36.7% net margin vs COLD's -4.4% |
| Stability / Safety | PLD | Beta 0.85 vs COLD's 0.89, lower leverage |
| Dividends | PLD | 2.6% yield; 11-year raise streak; COLD pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | PLD | +18.3% vs COLD's -37.6% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PLD | 3.3% ROA vs COLD's -1.4%, ROIC 3.8% 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.
Prologis is a global owner and operator of logistics real estate — primarily warehouses and distribution centers — serving e-commerce and supply chain customers. It generates revenue primarily through rental income from long-term leases to logistics companies, retailers, and manufacturers, with property management and development services providing additional income. The company's competitive advantage lies in its massive scale — owning nearly 1 billion square feet of prime logistics space in key global markets — and its deep relationships with major logistics and e-commerce players.
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
PLD leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). COLD leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
PLD is the larger business by revenue, generating $8.7B annually — 3.4x COLD's $2.6B. PLD is the more profitable business, keeping 36.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to COLD's -4.4%. On growth, PLD holds the edge at +8.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $2.6B | $8.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $375M | $6.7B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$115M | $3.2B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$205M | $5.2B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +23.9% | +67.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +0.3% | +47.0% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -4.4% | +36.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -7.9% | +59.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.2% | +8.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -138.5% | -24.1% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, COLD's 21.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than PLD's 23.2x.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $3.8B | $132.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $8.2B | $162.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -33.48x | 35.55x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 42.61x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 3.29x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 21.83x | 23.24x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.47x | 16.14x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.31x | 2.32x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 26.95x |
Profitability & Efficiency
PLD delivers a 5.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $6 in annual profit, vs $-4 for COLD. PLD carries lower financial leverage with a 0.54x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to COLD's 1.54x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PLD scores 5/9 vs COLD's 1/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -3.9% | +5.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -1.4% | +3.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +0.1% | +3.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.1% | +4.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 1 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.54x | 0.54x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $4.4B | $30.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $137M | $1.3B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $4.5B | $31.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 5.27x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PLD five years ago would be worth $16,053 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $5,057 for COLD. Over the past 12 months, PLD leads with a +18.3% total return vs COLD's -37.6%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PLD at 7.6% vs COLD's -18.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +3.5% | +10.5% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -37.6% | +18.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -45.3% | +24.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -49.4% | +60.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +13.5% | +340.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -18.2% | +7.6% |
Risk & Volatility
PLD is the less volatile stock with a 0.85 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. PLD currently trades 99.0% 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 … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.89x | 0.85x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $23.05 | $143.95 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $10.10 | $85.35 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +58.1% | +99.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 58.8 | 67.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 4.3M | 2.8M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates COLD as "Buy" and PLD as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 5.4% upside for COLD (target: $14) vs -4.6% for PLD (target: $136). PLD is the only dividend payer here at 2.63% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | COLDAmericold Realty … | PLDPrologis, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $14.11 | $136.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 19 | 41 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +2.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 11 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.74 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 100 | 38.65 | -61.4% |
| Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | 100 | 146.91 | +46.9% |
Prologis, Inc. (PLD) returned +61% over 5 years vs Americold Realty Tr… (COLD)'s -49%. A $10,000 investment in PLD 5 years ago would be worth $16,053 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | $1.5B | $2.6B | +74.6% |
| Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | $2.5B | $8.2B | +223.8% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1.5B (2016) to $2.6B (2025) — a 6.4% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 0.3% | -4.4% | -1430.1% |
| Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | 47.8% | 45.5% | -4.7% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s net margin went from 0% (2016) to -4% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | 82.4 | 311.1 | +277.5% |
| Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | 21.1 | 26.4 | +25.1% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. has traded in a 82x–311x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-33x. Prologis, Inc. has traded in a 21x–51x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~36x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americold Realty Tr… (COLD) | -0.35 | -0.4 | -14.3% |
| Prologis, Inc. (PLD) | 2.27 | 4.01 | +76.7% |
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.35 (2016) to $-0.40 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. generated $0M FCF in 2025 (+100% vs 2021). Prologis, Inc. generated $5B FCF in 2024 (+97% vs 2021).
COLD vs PLD: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is COLD or PLD a better buy right now?
Prologis, Inc. (PLD) offers the better valuation at 35.6x trailing P/E (42.6x 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 PLD?
Over the past 5 years, Prologis, Inc. (PLD) delivered a total return of +60.5%, compared to -49.4% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. (COLD). A $10,000 investment in PLD five years ago would be worth approximately $16K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: PLD returned +340.5% 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 PLD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Prologis, Inc. (PLD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.85β versus Americold Realty Trust, Inc.'s 0.89β — meaning COLD is approximately 5% more volatile than PLD relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Prologis, Inc. (PLD) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 54% versus 154% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — COLD or PLD?
Prologis, Inc. (PLD) is the more profitable company, earning 45.5% net margin versus -4.4% for Americold Realty Trust, Inc. — meaning it keeps 45.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PLD leads at 53.8% versus 0.3% for COLD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — PLD leads at 74.9%, 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 PLD 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 PLD?
In this comparison, PLD (2.6% yield) pays a dividend. COLD does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
07Is COLD or PLD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Prologis, Inc. (PLD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.85), 2.6% yield, +340.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (PLD: +340.5%, 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 PLD?
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. PLD pays a dividend while COLD does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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