Core Insights - Digital Realty Trust offers a combination of growth and income, appealing to both growth-oriented and income-focused investors [1][2] - Data center REITs, like Digital Realty, provide exposure to the AI market while generating steady income through dividends [2][3] Company Overview - Digital Realty Trust operates over 300 data centers in more than 50 metropolitan areas, serving over 5,000 customers, including major clients like IBM, Oracle, and Meta Platforms [4] Financial Performance Metrics - Key metrics for Digital Realty include total data centers, rentable square feet, occupancy rates, and adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) per share, which are crucial for assessing profitability and dividend sustainability [5] - The company’s performance over the past four years shows fluctuations in total data centers, rentable square feet, occupancy rates, and AFFO per share, with a notable peak in 2022 [6] Strategic Adjustments - In 2023 and 2024, Digital Realty sold non-core data centers and reduced ownership in others to focus on higher-growth hyperscale data centers, which streamlined spending [6][7] - Despite facing challenges such as higher interest rates and increased operational costs, management anticipates a recovery in AFFO per share and occupancy rates in the coming years [7][8] Market Position and Valuation - Digital Realty's shares are trading at around $175, offering a 2.8% dividend yield, which is expected to become more attractive as interest rates decline [9] - The company is positioned to benefit from the growth of cloud computing and AI markets, with a reasonable valuation at approximately 24 times this year's core FFO estimate [9][10] Future Outlook - Management projects a 6% to 7% increase in constant-currency core FFO for 2025, alongside an expected improvement in occupancy rates [8] - The anticipated decline in interest rates and macroeconomic improvements could enhance Digital Realty's dividend appeal and facilitate further expansion of its data center portfolio [10]