DLR vs. CGNX

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

DLR (Digital Realty Trust, Inc.) and CGNX (Cognex Corporation) are both stocks. DLR operates in REIT - Office (Real Estate), while CGNX operates in Scientific & Technical Instruments (Technology). Over the past 10 years, DLR returned 9.65%/yr vs 11.89%/yr for CGNX. At a 0.34 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

DLR vs. CGNX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) and Cognex Corporation (CGNX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DLR achieves a 18.54% return, which is significantly lower than CGNX's 73.89% return. Over the past 10 years, DLR has underperformed CGNX with an annualized return of 9.65%, while CGNX has yielded a comparatively higher 11.89% annualized return.

DLR

• 1D: -2.48%
• 1M: -6.74%
• YTD: 18.54%
• 6M: 12.87%
• 1Y: 6.01%
• 3Y*: 24.45%
• 5Y*: 6.09%
• 10Y*: 9.65%

CGNX

• 1D: 2.58%
• 1M: -4.85%
• YTD: 73.89%
• 6M: 62.85%
• 1Y: 107.46%
• 3Y*: 4.89%
• 5Y*: -3.98%
• 10Y*: 11.89%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DLR vs. CGNX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DLR Digital Realty Trust, Inc.	18.54%	-10.07%	35.90%	39.95%	-41.00%	30.66%	20.37%	16.52%	-3.00%	19.80%
CGNX Cognex Corporation	73.89%	1.24%	-13.45%	-10.84%	-39.11%	-2.85%	47.69%	45.54%	-36.53%	92.91%

Correlation

The correlation between DLR and CGNX is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.33
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.33
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 1, 2004	0.34

Fundamentals

EPS DLR : $4.53 CGNX : $0.84
PE Ratio DLR : 40.18 CGNX : 73.88
PS Ratio DLR : 9.37 CGNX : 10.06
Total Revenue (TTM) DLR : $5.09B CGNX : $1.05B
Gross Profit (TTM) DLR : $1.67B CGNX : $712.01M
EBITDA (TTM) DLR : $3.18B CGNX : $224.08M

Return for Risk

DLR vs. CGNX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DLR

DLR Risk / Return Rank: 48
DLR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 52
DLR Sortino Ratio Rank: 45
DLR Omega Ratio Rank: 43
DLR Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
DLR Martin Ratio Rank: 52

CGNX

CGNX Risk / Return Rank: 88
CGNX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
CGNX Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
CGNX Omega Ratio Rank: 90
CGNX Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
CGNX Martin Ratio Rank: 86

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DLR vs. CGNX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) and Cognex Corporation (CGNX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	DLR	CGNX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.27	1.87	-1.60
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.55	3.15	-2.60
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.42	-0.35
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.36	3.88	-3.52
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.90	8.76	-7.87
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

DLR vs. CGNX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DLR Sharpe Ratio is 0.27, which is lower than the CGNX Sharpe Ratio of 1.87. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DLR and CGNX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	DLR	CGNX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.27	1.87	-1.60
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21	-0.09	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34	0.29	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.28	+0.28

Drawdowns

DLR vs. CGNX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DLR drawdown since its inception was -56.80%, smaller than the maximum CGNX drawdown of -83.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DLR and CGNX.

Drawdown Indicators

	DLR	CGNX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.80%	-83.71%	+26.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.83%	-27.86%	+11.03%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-29.40%	-59.98%	+30.58%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-48.52%	-74.07%	+25.55%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-48.52%	-74.63%	+26.11%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.67%	-31.35%	+20.68%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.13%	-37.52%	+26.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.70%	12.31%	-5.61%

Volatility

DLR vs. CGNX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) is 6.99%, while Cognex Corporation (CGNX) has a volatility of 13.16%. This indicates that DLR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CGNX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DLR	CGNX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.99%	13.16%	-6.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.34%	42.07%	-25.73%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.64%	58.00%	-35.36%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	28.57%	43.52%	-14.95%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.19%	41.85%	-13.66%

Dividends

DLR vs. CGNX - Dividend Comparison

DLR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.68%, more than CGNX's 0.54% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CGNX Cognex Corporation	0.54%	0.90%	0.85%	0.68%	0.56%	0.32%	2.77%	0.37%	0.48%	0.27%	0.46%	0.62%
DLR Digital Realty Trust, Inc.	2.68%	3.15%	2.75%	3.63%	4.87%	2.62%	3.21%	3.61%	3.79%	3.27%	3.58%	4.50%

Financials

DLR vs. CGNX - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Cognex Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

DLR - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 303.36M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

CGNX - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported a gross profit of 190.94M and revenue of 268.44M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 71.1%.

DLR - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. reported an operating income of 195.64M and revenue of 303.36M, resulting in an operating margin of 64.5%.

CGNX - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported an operating income of 59.87M and revenue of 268.44M, resulting in an operating margin of 22.3%.

DLR - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Digital Realty Trust, Inc. reported a net income of -12.46M and revenue of 303.36M, resulting in a net margin of -4.1%.

CGNX - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Cognex Corporation reported a net income of 51.70M and revenue of 268.44M, resulting in a net margin of 19.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DLR and CGNX in my portfolio?

DLR and CGNX have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, DLR or CGNX?

CGNX has higher volatility (13.16%) compared to DLR (6.99%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DLR dropped -56.80% vs CGNX's -83.71%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CGNX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.87 vs 0.27), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.