EQIX

Essential Properties (EPRT) reported quarterly FFO of $0.51 per share, matching consensus estimates, with revenues of $168.67 million slightly exceeding expectations. However, the stock has underperformed the S&P 500 by 25.9 percentage points year-to-date, earning a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) rating. Equinix (EQIX), another retail REIT, is expected to report earnings on October 28 with projected EPS of $10.51 and revenues of $2.57 billion.

Equinix (EQIX) is highlighted as a strong dividend play for income investors, with a current dividend yield of 2.09% and an annualized dividend of $20.64, up 10% year-over-year. The company has increased dividends 5 times over the last 5 years with an average annual increase of 13.62%. With a 50% payout ratio and expected earnings growth of 13.36% for 2026, EQIX presents a balanced opportunity, though it carries a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

Equinix (EQIX) closed at $985.98, down 1.03% and outperforming the S&P 500's 1.09% decline. The data center operator is expected to report earnings on October 28, 2026, with projected EPS growth of 6.92% and revenue growth of 10.95% year-over-year. The stock maintains a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with a Forward P/E of 22.93, trading at a premium to its industry average of 13.68.

Equinix (EQIX) closed at $1,026.06, up 1.47%, outperforming the S&P 500's 0.6% gain. The data center operator is expected to report Q3 2026 earnings on October 28 with projected EPS of $10.51 (up 6.92% YoY) and revenue of $2.57 billion (up 10.95% YoY). The stock holds a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) with a Forward P/E of 23.27, trading at a premium to its industry average of 13.48.

Diraq, a quantum computing company, has been selected by DARPA to advance to Stage C of the Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, the final stage of evaluating quantum computing approaches for utility-scale operation by 2033. The company will receive an initial $51 million tranche with up to $300 million total funding to validate its silicon-based quantum computing systems. Diraq plans to deploy the world's first silicon spin quantum computer in a commercial data center at Equinix in Sydney before the end of 2026 and aims to achieve utility scale by 2031 with over 2 million physical qubits.

As AI infrastructure demand grows, three companies are positioned to benefit: Amazon's AWS controls 28% of the cloud market with strong AI services; CoreWeave operates 51 data centers with a $104.2B revenue backlog and 102% projected revenue CAGR; and Equinix, a data center REIT with 282 global facilities, offers dividend income with 15% EPS growth expected through 2028.

Equinix (EQIX) closed at $1,025.72, up 1.32% in the latest session, outperforming the S&P 500's 0.73% gain. The data center operator has declined 2.74% over the past month.

Upcoming Q3 earnings on October 28, 2026 are projected to show EPS of $10.51 (+6.92% YoY) and revenue of $2.57 billion (+10.95% YoY). The company holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating with a Forward P/E of 23.3, trading at a premium to its industry average of 13.52.

Equinix (EQIX) is capitalizing on growing demand for AI and hybrid multicloud infrastructure, with major second-quarter 2026 deals driven by AI workloads. The company is expanding capacity through 52 projects across 33 markets with $5-$6 billion in 2026 capital spending, supported by a $4 billion Nordic data center acquisition. With strong financial flexibility, a 10% dividend increase, and positive estimate revisions, analysts maintain a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) rating.

Equinix (EQIX), a data center operator, is highlighted as an attractive dividend investment with a current yield of 2.04% and an annualized dividend of $20.64, up 10% year-over-year. The company has increased dividends 5 times over the last 5 years with an average annual increase of 13.62%. With a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and expected earnings growth of 13.36% for 2026, EQIX represents a compelling opportunity for income investors seeking both dividend income and capital appreciation.

Schneider Electric announced the world's first fully Software-Defined Medium Voltage (MV) switchgear at YOTTA 2026, enabling up to 3× faster ordering and manufacturing, up to 2× faster commissioning, and zero-downtime upgrades. The technology has been piloted with Equinix in a live data center environment, with broader availability expected in 2028.

Mplify announced the winners of its 2026 NaaS Excellence Awards, recognizing organizations advancing Network-as-a-Service, automation, and AI-ready digital infrastructure. Major winners include PCCW Global (NaaS Service Provider of the Year), Lumen Technologies (North America), Equinix (Interconnection Infrastructure Leadership), and Tata Communications (Secure NaaS Leadership). Professional awards honored Ron Insler (RAD), Jeremy Villalobos (Orchest Technologies), Dan Pitt (Palo Alto), and Pascal Menezes (Mplify).

The article compares two real estate ETFs: XLRE (State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF) offering domestic U.S. large-cap exposure with lower costs and stronger 5-year returns, versus VNQI (Vanguard Global ex-U.S. Real Estate ETF) providing international diversification across 30+ countries with a higher 5.1% dividend yield. The choice depends on whether investors prioritize domestic stability or international income generation.

Oklo and X-Energy are next-generation nuclear reactor companies capitalizing on growing energy demand. Oklo trades at a premium valuation (100x 2028 sales) due to earlier commercial deployment plans starting in 2027, while X-Energy appears undervalued (2.5x 2028 sales) despite a slower timeline to first deployments in the early 2030s. The analyst recommends X-Energy as the better value despite Oklo's near-term advantages.

The APAC sustainable data center market is projected to grow from USD 16.74 billion in 2025 to USD 57.18 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of 22.72%, driven by AI infrastructure and renewable energy investments. Major operators are deploying advanced cooling technologies, long-term power purchase agreements, and on-site renewables to support high-density workloads while addressing grid constraints and sustainability targets. However, challenges include coal-dependent energy grids and water scarcity across the region.

State Street Real Estate Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLRE) and iShares Select U.S. REIT ETF (ICF) are compared for income-oriented investors. XLRE offers lower costs (0.08% vs 0.32% expense ratio) and higher dividend yield (3.5% vs 2.7%), making it the better choice for most income investors despite similar performance profiles and overlapping holdings.

Chile's data center colocation market is projected to expand at a 15.47% CAGR from 2026 to 2031, driven by cloud adoption, AI investment, improved fiber connectivity, and government initiatives. The market is expected to reach 1,602.6 thousand square feet of utilized area and 45.12 thousand rack units by 2031. Key challenges include water scarcity, natural disasters, and environmental approval processes, while sustainability-focused projects like Ascenty's new renewable-powered facility reflect industry trends.

Indonesia's data center colocation market is projected to grow at 14.36% CAGR through 2031, driven by AI adoption, hyperscale cloud expansion, and enterprise digital transformation. The market is expanding beyond Jakarta to secondary cities like Bekasi, Karawang, Batam, and Surabaya, with operators investing in liquid cooling infrastructure and higher-capacity systems.

Utilized data center area is forecast to reach 8.01 million square feet by 2031, while rack capacity is expected to hit 198,000 units. Power availability remains a key constraint, though PLN is expanding grid infrastructure to support large-scale projects.

South Africa's data center colocation market is projected to grow at 12.09% CAGR through 2031, driven by cloud adoption, AI deployment, and enterprise digitalization. The market is expected to reach 2.07 million square feet of utilized area and 55.91 thousand rack units by 2031. Major operators including Teraco, Africa Data Centres, and Vantage Data Centers are expanding capacity, while power reliability and talent shortage remain key challenges.

Schwab U.S. REIT ETF (SCHH) offers a lower expense ratio of 0.07% versus Vanguard Real Estate ETF's (VNQ) 0.13%, but VNQ provides higher dividend yield (3.7% vs 2.9%) and broader diversification with 139 holdings. Over 5 years, SCHH delivered stronger returns ($1,101 vs $1,059 on $1,000 invested) with lower volatility. The article recommends VNQ for long-term income investors despite higher fees, citing superior dividend payouts and diversification.