NHI vs. DLR

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

NHI (National Health Investors, Inc.) and DLR (Digital Realty Trust, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Real Estate sector — NHI in REIT - Healthcare Facilities, DLR in REIT - Office. Over the past 10 years, NHI returned 5.61%/yr vs 10.33%/yr for DLR. At a 0.45 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

NHI vs. DLR - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NHI achieves a -9.53% return, which is significantly lower than DLR's 22.80% return. Over the past 10 years, NHI has underperformed DLR with an annualized return of 5.61%, while DLR has yielded a comparatively higher 10.33% annualized return.

NHI

• 1D: -1.75%
• 1M: -6.53%
• YTD: -9.53%
• 6M: -11.54%
• 1Y: 0.89%
• 3Y*: 15.07%
• 5Y*: 6.54%
• 10Y*: 5.61%

DLR

• 1D: 2.83%
• 1M: -4.06%
• YTD: 22.80%
• 6M: 18.93%
• 1Y: 10.34%
• 3Y*: 25.70%
• 5Y*: 7.61%
• 10Y*: 10.33%

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

NHI vs. DLR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NHI National Health Investors, Inc.	-9.53%	15.69%	30.71%	14.57%	-3.26%	-11.74%	-8.67%	13.67%	5.93%	6.88%
DLR Digital Realty Trust, Inc.	22.80%	-10.07%	35.90%	39.95%	-41.00%	30.66%	20.37%	16.52%	-3.00%	19.80%

Correlation

The correlation between NHI and DLR is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.30
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.36
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.39
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 1, 2004	0.45

Over the past year, the correlation between NHI and DLR has dropped to 0.17 - well below their long-term average of 0.45, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

EPS NHI : $3.12 DLR : $4.53
PE Ratio NHI : 21.93 DLR : 41.62
PEG Ratio NHI : 0.20 DLR : 1.12
PS Ratio NHI : 8.07 DLR : 9.71
Total Revenue (TTM) NHI : $402.19M DLR : $5.09B
Gross Profit (TTM) NHI : $210.78M DLR : $1.67B
EBITDA (TTM) NHI : $233.74M DLR : $3.18B

Return for Risk

NHI vs. DLR — Risk / Return Rank

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

NHI

NHI Risk / Return Rank: 40
NHI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 43
NHI Sortino Ratio Rank: 36
NHI Omega Ratio Rank: 35
NHI Calmar Ratio Rank: 42
NHI Martin Ratio Rank: 42

DLR

DLR Risk / Return Rank: 54
DLR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
DLR Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
DLR Omega Ratio Rank: 48
DLR Calmar Ratio Rank: 56
DLR Martin Ratio Rank: 57

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.

NHI vs. DLR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for National Health Investors, Inc. (NHI) and Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR). 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.

	NHI	DLR	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.04	0.46	-0.42
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.20	0.82	-0.62
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.03	1.10	-0.07
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.04	0.62	-0.58
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	0.13	1.56	-1.43
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NHI vs. DLR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NHI Sharpe Ratio is 0.04, which is lower than the DLR Sharpe Ratio of 0.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NHI and DLR, 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

	NHI	DLR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.04	0.46	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.28	0.27	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.18	0.37	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.56	-0.17

Drawdowns

NHI vs. DLR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NHI drawdown since its inception was -82.88%, which is greater than DLR's maximum drawdown of -56.80%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NHI and DLR.

Drawdown Indicators

	NHI	DLR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.88%	-56.80%	-26.08%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-24.09%	-16.83%	-7.26%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.09%	-29.40%	+5.31%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.68%	-48.52%	+22.84%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-63.04%	-48.52%	-14.52%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-24.09%	-7.46%	-16.63%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.01%	-11.13%	-3.88%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.98%	6.64%	+0.34%

Volatility

NHI vs. DLR - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for National Health Investors, Inc. (NHI) is 6.54%, while Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (DLR) has a volatility of 7.17%. This indicates that NHI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than DLR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NHI	DLR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.54%	7.17%	-0.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.79%	16.20%	+1.59%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.48%	22.47%	-0.99%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.59%	28.57%	-4.98%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.96%	28.17%	+2.79%

Dividends

NHI vs. DLR - Dividend Comparison

NHI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.36%, more than DLR's 2.59% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DLR Digital Realty Trust, Inc.	2.59%	3.15%	2.75%	3.63%	4.87%	2.62%	3.21%	3.61%	3.79%	3.27%	3.58%	4.50%
NHI National Health Investors, Inc.	5.36%	4.77%	5.19%	6.45%	6.89%	6.62%	6.38%	5.15%	5.30%	5.04%	4.85%	5.59%

Financials

NHI vs. DLR - Profitability Comparison

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

NHI - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National Health Investors, Inc. reported a gross profit of 0.00 and revenue of 115.13M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 0.0%.

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%.

NHI - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National Health Investors, Inc. reported an operating income of 35.00K and revenue of 115.13M, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

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%.

NHI - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, National Health Investors, Inc. reported a net income of 40.02M and revenue of 115.13M, resulting in a net margin of 34.8%.

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%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NHI and DLR in my portfolio?

NHI and DLR have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NHI or DLR?

DLR has higher volatility (7.17%) compared to NHI (6.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NHI dropped -82.88% vs DLR's -56.80%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DLR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.46 vs 0.04), 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.