Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

New York Stock Exchange
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Bullish +75

8 Best Digital Infrastructure REITs to Buy According to Analysts

🌍 The Atlantic Council and International Energy Agency project global data center electricity consumption will more than double by 2030 due to AI-optimized servers.

⚡ Energy infrastructure and digital infrastructure must be treated as inseparable for investments to drive sustainable growth rather than strain resources.

📉 U.S. data center demand is at unprecedented levels with historic low vacancy rates and record leasing activity projected for 2026.

🤖 AI inference is emerging as a key driver of demand, with developers closely monitoring the commercial adoption of edge data centers.

🏛️ The analysis focuses on digital infrastructure REITs with market capitalizations exceeding $2 billion, ranked by potential share price upside.

📊 Hedge fund stake counts were included to identify companies where research suggests market outperformance opportunities exist.

💰 Pricing data for the analysis is based on market close prices as of May 1, 2026.

📈 SBA Communications Corp. (SBAC) received a target price increase to $230 from Scotiabank following positive first-quarter results.

📢 SBAC reported Q1 revenue growth of 5.9% to $703 million, driven by site leasing revenue which rose 6.5%.

🔧 SBA completed the acquisition of 10 communication sites and added land rights underneath approximately 3,900 sites in Guatemala.

🏗️ The company built 80 towers during Q1 and is under contract to purchase 56 additional sites for $36.9 million by Q3 2026.

👔 CEO Brendan Cavanagh stated that domestic leasing backlogs increased and the company raised its full-year financial outlook.

🌐 SBA Communications owns or operates 46,358 communication sites globally as of March 31, 2026, including a significant international presence.

📊 52% of analysts rate SBA Communications as a Buy with an average price target reflecting 5.22% upside potential.

Bullish Signals
  • Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi increased SBA Communications' target price to $230 from $223, reflecting the company's higher guidance revisions for the year.
  • SBA Communications reported a 5.9% rise in total revenues to $703 million in the first quarter, with site leasing revenue increasing by 6.5% to $656 million.
  • The company built 80 towers during the first quarter and acquired 10 communication sites, expanding its portfolio of 46,358 communication sites as of March 31, 2026.
  • SBA Communications increased its full-year outlook for key financial metrics following solid results and favorable movement in foreign exchange rates.
  • Domestic leasing backlogs increased during the first quarter, indicating strong demand for the company's wireless communications infrastructure.
Risk Factors
  • The article focuses entirely on bullish momentum and upside potential, noting that all data center pricing is at historic highs and vacancy remains at historic lows. This overconcentration in positive trends creates a risk that the stock picks are already fully priced for their growth.
Full Analysis
The article discusses the growing demand for digital infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing, citing reports from the Atlantic Council and CBRE that project global data center electricity consumption to more than double by 2030. It highlights that U.S. data center demand is reaching unprecedented levels with record leasing activity in 2026 expected, while vacancy remains at historic lows and pricing is at all-time highs. The piece introduces a list of the "8 Best Digital Infrastructure REITs to Buy According to Analysts," ranking them based on potential share price upside derived from analyst consensus. The methodology for the list involves identifying digital infrastructure real estate investment trusts (REITs) with market capitalizations exceeding $2 billion, ranked by upside potential and noting hedge fund holdings as of the fourth quarter of 2025. The article notes that pricing data is current as of May 1, 2026, although specific financial details for the companies listed begin to appear from the bottom of the provided text. It explicitly details the performance of SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ: SBAC), noting that Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi increased the target price to $230 in a report referenced by TheFly on May 1, maintaining a sector perform rating. SBA Communications reported a 5.9% rise in total revenues to $703 million for the first quarter of 2026, driven largely by site leasing revenue of $656 million, which increased 6.5% year-over-year. In terms of asset activity, the company acquired 10 communication sites and land rights under approximately 3,900 sites in Guatemala during the quarter, along with building 80 towers. Following the quarter-end, SBA is purchasing or contracted to purchase 56 additional communication sites for $36.9 million in cash, expecting closure by the end of the third quarter of 2026. CEO Brendan Cavanagh stated that domestic leasing backlogs increased and full-year outlooks were raised following favorable results and foreign exchange rates. As of March 31, 2026, SBA owns or operates 46,358 communication sites, with 17,378 in the U.S. and territories, and 28,980 internationally.