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Digital Realty falls 5% after taking $3.5 billion stake in Blackstone's Virginia data centers

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Why This Matters

Digital Realty's $3.5 billion investment in Virginia data centers signifies a strategic move to expand its hyperscale data center portfolio in the world's largest data center market. This acquisition highlights the ongoing industry trend of consolidating and investing heavily in high-capacity infrastructure to meet growing demand for cloud and digital services. The deal underscores the importance of Virginia as a key hub for data center growth and the increasing role of private capital in the sector.

Key Takeaways

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A Digital Realty data center in Sterling, Virginia, US, on Sunday, May 31, 2026. Lexi Critchett | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Digital Realty fell in premarket trading after it announced its buying a $3.5 billion stake in three data centers from asset manager Blackstone . The Austin-based global data center firm said on Monday that it will pay $1.2 billion in cash and $2.3 billion in shares for data centers in Northern Virginia, valued at $7.8 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed on Tuesday. Digital Realty will purchase Blackstone's 80% interest in two 96-megawatt data centers in Manassas, Virginia, and a 50% interest in one 96-megawatt data center in Sterling, Virginia. It was last trading down 5.4% before the market opened. The stock is up 23% in the year-to-date.

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Digital Realty shares over the past year.

The first two data centers are expected to stabilize in the first half of 2027, and the third by the first half of 2028. The transaction reflects the next phase of Digital Realty's partnership with Blackstone, said Digital Realty's chief investment officer, Greg Wright. It allows the company to increase its ownership in a portfolio of "fully leased, high-quality hyperscale assets" that extends its runway for growth and pipeline of product for the continued expansion of its strategic private capital platform, he added in the Monday statement. Digital Realty is looking to increase its exposure to the sector in Virginia, which has long been considered the world's largest data center market.