8 Best Digital Infrastructure REITs to Buy According to Analysts

In this article, we take a look at the 8 Best Digital Infrastructure REITs to Buy According to Analysts.

In a report last week, the Atlantic Council noted that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and global demand for cloud computing is rapidly redrawing the geography of digital infrastructure. It emphasized that this is transforming data centers from passive digital warehouses into active participants in national energy systems.

Citing projections from the International Energy Agency, the American think tank noted that global data center electricity consumption is projected to more than double by 2030 to 945 terawatt-hours, with AI-optimized servers driving the bulk of that growth. It added:

“For digital investment to become an engine of sustainable growth rather than a source of strain, governments and investors must treat energy infrastructure and digital infrastructure as inseparable.”

Meanwhile, an earlier CBRE report noted that U.S. data center demand continues to reach unprecedented levels, and 2026 is on track to set a new record for leasing activity. It added that vacancy remains at historic lows and pricing is at all-time highs. However, new supply is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver.

The CBRE report also noted that AI inference is emerging as a meaningful driver of demand in the data center sector.

“Developers, operators and occupiers are closely watching the next phase of AI adoption. Publicly traded operators noted that AI-related workloads represented a significant share of new leases in 2025. The key question for 2026 is whether edge data centers will reach broader commercial adoption as inference workloads scale,” it added.

As we consider the growing need for reliable digital infrastructure and the projected demand in the data center sector, let’s take a look at the 8 Best Digital Infrastructure REITs to Buy According to Analysts.

Why ByteDance’s Reported Data Center Order Could Be a Major Win for VNET (VNET)

Our Methodology

To compile this list, we identified digital infrastructure and related real estate investment trusts (REITs) with market capitalizations exceeding $2 billion. From this pool, we ranked the companies by potential share price upside based on analyst consensus, placing the stock with the highest upside at the top. Additionally, we also included the number of hedge funds holding stakes in these companies as of the fourth quarter of 2025.

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Note: All pricing data is as of market close on May 1, 2026.

8. SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:SBAC)

Potential Upside: 5.22%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:SBAC) is one of the best digital infrastructure REITs to buy according to analysts. On May 1, Scotiabank analyst Maher Yaghi increased the company’s target price on SBA Communications to $230 from $223 while keeping a sector perform rating on the shares, according to a report by TheFly.

The analyst noted that SBA Communications’ top and bottom-line results for the first quarter were in line with consensus expectations, adding that the price target increase reflects the company’s higher guidance revisions for this year.

On April 29, the company reported a 5.9% rise in total revenues to $703 million in the first quarter of the year. The bulk of the figure comes from site leasing revenue, which totaled $656 million, a 6.5% increase from the same period last year.

The company reported that it acquired 10 communication sites in the first quarter of the year, as well as the rights to land underneath approximately 3,900 communication sites in Guatemala. Additionally, the company built 80 towers during the period.

Subsequent to quarter end, SBA Communications has purchased or is under contract to purchase 56 communication sites for an aggregate consideration of $36.9 million in cash, which it expects to close by the end of the third quarter of 2026.

SBA Communications President and Chief Executive Officer Brendan Cavanagh said the company had a solid start to the year with its positive first-quarter results. In a press release, he said:

“Carrier activity remained steady globally, as our customers continued to focus on expanding and densifying their networks, as well as upgrading sites with new spectrum bands and technologies. In addition, our domestic leasing backlogs increased during the quarter. These favorable results and positive movement in foreign exchange rates have allowed us to increase our full year outlook for each of our key financial metrics from the levels we provided in late February. During the quarter, we also continued to invest in expanding our portfolio through new tower builds across our markets, with increasing production particularly under our Central America build to suit agreement with Millicom International. We anticipate seeing this production grow steadily throughout 2026.”

Based on 23 analyst ratings compiled by CNN, 52% of analysts rated SBA Communications Buy, with an average price target of $230, representing a 5.22% upside from the current price of $218.58.

SBA Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:SBAC) is a leading independent owner and operator of wireless communications infrastructure, including towers, buildings, rooftops, distributed antenna systems (DAS), and small cells. As of March 31, 2026, SBA owned or operated 46,358 communication sites, 17,378 of which are located in the United States and its territories and 28,980 of which are located internationally.

7. Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI)

Potential Upside: 6.43%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders:55

Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) is one of the best digital infrastructure REITs to buy according to analysts. On May 1, the company announced the completion of the sale of its Fiber Solutions business to Zayo Group Holdings Inc., as well as the sale of its Small Cell business to Arium Networks, for $8.5 billion, or approximately $8.4 billion net of preliminary adjustments under the stock purchase agreement.

Crown Castle President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Hillabrant said the completion of the transactions makes Crown Castle the only U.S.-focused, large, publicly traded pure-play tower company. He added:

“We believe this improved strategic focus enables greater customer alignment, faster decision‑making, and more disciplined execution across our high‑quality portfolio, accelerating our transformation and supporting long‑term shareholder value creation. I want to sincerely thank the teammates who supported our Fiber Solutions and Small Cell businesses for their professionalism and contributions throughout this transition and during their time at Crown Castle.”

The company said it expects to use a portion of the sale proceeds to repurchase $1.0 billion of shares under its stock repurchase program, approved by its Board of Directors, effective May 1, 2026, and to reduce outstanding debt by more than $7.0 billion.

Meanwhile, Crown Castle also announced revisions in its 2026 outlook, including a $40 million decrease in interest expense and a $10 million increase in interest income compared to the previous full-year 2026 Outlook issued on April 22, 2026. The company said the changes result from the sale proceeds of the Fiber Solutions and Small Cell businesses being received on May 1, 2026, rather than June 30, 2026, as assumed in the previous outlook.

Based on 23 analyst ratings compiled by CNN, Crown Castle stock has an average price target of $95, representing a 6.43% upside from the current price of $89.26.

Crown Castle Inc. (NYSE:CCI) owns, operates, and leases approximately 40,000 cell towers across the U.S.

6. STAG Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG)

Potential Upside: 7.57%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 29

STAG Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG) is one of the best digital infrastructure REITs to buy according to analysts. On April 29, TheFly reported that Evercore ISI raised its price target on STAG to $44 from $42 and maintained an Outperform rating on the shares following the company’s release of its first-quarter earnings results.

On April 28, STAG reported a 9% increase in its revenues in the first quarter of the year to $224 million from $205.6 million in the same period last year. STAG Industrial President and CEO Bill Crooker said first-quarter industrial leasing velocity and volume were healthy. In the earnings call, he said:

“Year-over-year absorption continues to improve. Notably, the multiyear weakness in demand for big box product has reversed with vacancy in larger spaces decreasing in many markets. This has not been limited to larger spaces, however, with strong activity in the 150,000 to 250,000 square foot segment of the sector where STAG’s portfolio predominantly sits. The market is benefiting from a more recent demand driver tied to the rapid acceleration of data center construction.”

Crooker said that with third-party logistics providers supporting these data center developments, a new segment of leasing demand for traditional warehouse facilities has emerged.

“Since the beginning of 2025, we have signed 8 leases totaling 1.6 million square feet to data center-related tenants. New supply also remains subdued with approximately 40% of new supply constructed for build-to-suit projects, above historical averages. We continue to expect national vacancy rates to peak in the coming months with an inflection point in the back half of 2026.”

Crooker noted that the company is seeing growing demand from data center tenants, particularly in the Southeast and Midwest markets, such as in Ohio and South Carolina, noting that the company has signed leases in these areas. He added that the company anticipates further demand from data center-related tenants.

According to 10 analyst ratings compiled by CNN, 70% rated STAG Hold while 30% rated it Buy. As of May 1, STAG has a median price target of $41.50, a 7.57% upside from the current price of $38.58.

STAG Industrial, Inc. (NYSE:STAG) is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on the acquisition and operation of single-tenant, industrial properties throughout the United States.

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