REIT - Specialty
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2 / 10Stock Comparison
IRM vs EXR
Revenue, margins, valuation, and 5-year total return — side by side.
REIT - Industrial
IRM vs EXR — Key Financials
Market cap, revenue, margins, and valuation side-by-side.
| Company Snapshot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industry | REIT - Specialty | REIT - Industrial |
| Market Cap | $39.18B | $29.52B |
| Revenue (TTM) | $7.25B | $3.38B |
| Net Income (TTM) | $272M | $974M |
| Gross Margin | 55.0% | 28.4% |
| Operating Margin | 18.0% | 44.1% |
| Forward P/E | 58.4x | 30.1x |
| Total Debt | $19.05B | $14.97B |
| Cash & Equiv. | $159M | $139M |
IRM vs EXR — Long-Term Stock Performance
Price return indexed to 100 at period start. Dividends excluded.
| Stock | May 20 | May 26 | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Mountain Incor… (IRM) | 100 | 511.3 | +411.3% |
| Extra Space Storage… (EXR) | 100 | 144.5 | +44.5% |
Price return only. Dividends and distributions are not included.
Quick Verdict: IRM vs EXR
Each card shows where this stock fits in a portfolio — not just who wins on paper.
IRM is the clearest fit if your priority is growth exposure and long-term compounding.
- Rev growth 12.2%, EPS growth -19.7%, 3Y rev CAGR 10.6%
- 321.4% 10Y total return vs EXR's 106.5%
- 12.2% FFO/revenue growth vs EXR's 1.2%
EXR carries the broadest edge in this set and is the clearest fit for income & stability and sleep-well-at-night.
- Dividend streak 0 yrs, beta 0.52, yield 4.6%
- Lower volatility, beta 0.52, current ratio 1.28x
- Beta 0.52, yield 4.6%, current ratio 1.28x
See the full category breakdown
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | 12.2% FFO/revenue growth vs EXR's 1.2% | |
| Value | Lower P/E (30.1x vs 58.4x) | |
| Quality / Margins | 28.8% margin vs IRM's 3.8% | |
| Stability / Safety | Beta 0.52 vs IRM's 1.10 | |
| Dividends | 4.6% yield, vs IRM's 2.3% | |
| Momentum (1Y) | +38.9% vs EXR's -2.1% | |
| Efficiency (ROA) | 3.3% ROA vs IRM's 1.3%, ROIC 3.9% vs 6.2% |
IRM vs EXR — Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
IRM vs EXR — Financial Metrics
Side-by-side numbers across 2 stocks — who leads on profitability, valuation, growth, and risk.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
Evenly matched — IRM and EXR each lead in 3 of 6 comparable metrics.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
IRM is the larger business by revenue, generating $7.2B annually — 2.1x EXR's $3.4B. EXR is the more profitable business, keeping 28.8% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to IRM's 3.8%. On growth, IRM holds the edge at +21.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $7.2B | $3.4B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $2.3B | $2.2B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $272M | $974M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$625M | $1.8B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +55.0% | +28.4% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +18.0% | +44.1% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +3.8% | +28.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -8.6% | +54.6% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +21.6% | +9.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +7.9% | +4.8% |
Valuation Metrics
EXR leads this category, winning 3 of 4 comparable metrics.
Valuation Metrics
At 30.5x trailing earnings, EXR trades at a 89% valuation discount to IRM's 268.8x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, EXR's 20.1x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than IRM's 23.9x.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $39.2B | $29.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $58.1B | $44.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 268.78x | 30.46x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 58.45x | 30.07x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 7.00x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 23.90x | 20.12x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 5.68x | 8.74x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 2.07x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 16.14x |
Profitability & Efficiency
EXR leads this category, winning 5 of 7 comparable metrics.
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), EXR scores 5/9 vs IRM's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +6.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +1.3% | +3.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +6.2% | +3.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +8.2% | +5.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.05x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $18.9B | $14.8B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $159M | $139M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $19.1B | $15.0B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 1.28x | 2.68x |
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
IRM leads this category, winning 6 of 6 comparable metrics.
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
A $10,000 investment in IRM five years ago would be worth $37,537 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $11,680 for EXR. Over the past 12 months, IRM leads with a +38.9% total return vs EXR's -2.1%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors IRM at 35.5% vs EXR's 1.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +59.3% | +8.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +38.9% | -2.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +149.0% | +2.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +275.4% | +16.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +321.4% | +106.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +35.5% | +1.0% |
Risk & Volatility
Evenly matched — IRM and EXR each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Risk & Volatility
EXR is the less volatile stock with a 0.52 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than IRM's 1.10 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. IRM currently trades 99.9% from its 52-week high vs EXR's 90.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.10x | 0.52x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $131.80 | $155.19 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $77.77 | $125.71 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.9% | +90.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 75.1 | 48.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.5M | 1.1M |
Analyst Outlook
Evenly matched — IRM and EXR each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates IRM as "Buy" and EXR as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 6.7% upside for EXR (target: $149) vs 0.5% for IRM (target: $132). For income investors, EXR offers the higher dividend yield at 4.64% vs IRM's 2.34%.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $132.33 | $149.13 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 20 | 28 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +2.3% | +4.6% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $3.09 | $6.49 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.5% |
EXR leads in 2 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). IRM leads in 1 (Total Returns). 3 tied.
IRM vs EXR: Frequently Asked Questions
10 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is IRM or EXR a better buy right now?
For growth investors, Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) is the stronger pick with 12.
2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 1. 2% for Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR). Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR) offers the better valuation at 30. 5x trailing P/E (30. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) a "Buy" — based on 20 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 has the better valuation — IRM or EXR?
On trailing P/E, Extra Space Storage Inc.
(EXR) is the cheapest at 30. 5x versus Iron Mountain Incorporated at 268. 8x. On forward P/E, Extra Space Storage Inc. is actually cheaper at 30. 1x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — IRM or EXR?
Over the past 5 years, Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) delivered a total return of +275.
4%, compared to +16. 8% for Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: IRM returned +321. 4% versus EXR's +106. 5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — IRM or EXR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Extra Space Storage Inc.
(EXR) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 52β versus Iron Mountain Incorporated's 1. 10β — meaning IRM is approximately 113% more volatile than EXR relative to the S&P 500.
05Which is growing faster — IRM or EXR?
By revenue growth (latest reported year), Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) is pulling ahead at 12.
2% versus 1. 2% for Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Extra Space Storage Inc. grew EPS 13. 9% year-over-year, compared to -19. 7% for Iron Mountain Incorporated. Over a 3-year CAGR, EXR leads at 19. 8% 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.
06Which has better profit margins — IRM or EXR?
Extra Space Storage Inc.
(EXR) is the more profitable company, earning 28. 8% net margin versus 2. 1% for Iron Mountain Incorporated — meaning it keeps 28. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: EXR leads at 44. 1% versus 20. 4% for IRM. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — EXR leads at 28. 4%, 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.
07Is IRM or EXR more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Extra Space Storage Inc.
(EXR) trades at 30. 1x forward P/E versus 58. 4x for Iron Mountain Incorporated — 28. 4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for EXR: 6. 7% to $149. 13.
08Which pays a better dividend — IRM or EXR?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.
Extra Space Storage Inc. (EXR) offers the highest yield at 4. 6%, versus 2. 3% for Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM).
09Is IRM or EXR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Extra Space Storage Inc.
(EXR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 52), 4. 6% yield, +106. 5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (EXR: +106. 5%, IRM: +321. 4%), 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.
10What are the main differences between IRM and EXR?
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: IRM is a mid-cap quality compounder stock; EXR is a mid-cap income-oriented 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.
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