EQIX vs GDS vs NDAQ Stock Comparison

Equinix, GDS Holdings and Nasdaq Prices as of Oct 28, 2026 Peers: Industry group
EQIX Equinix Inc
$1,007.66 -0.3% 1M +23.5% 1Y
Market cap
$99.75B
P/E
60.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$10.06B
Div. yield
2.00%
Data Centers Technology
4 wins
GDS GDS Holdings Ltd
$23.86 -24.6% 1M -33.5% 1Y
Market cap
$4.92B
P/E
8.6x
Revenue (TTM)
$1.75B
Div. yield
–
Data Centers Technology
4 wins
NDAQ Nasdaq, Inc.
$105.55 +14.0% 1M +20.0% 1Y
Market cap
$58.94B
P/E
28.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$9.15B
Div. yield
1.10%
Exchanges Financial Services
4 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Equinix leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Equinix 4, GDS Holdings 4, Nasdaq 4). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionEQIXGDSNDAQLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $99.75B $4.92B $58.94B EQIX
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 60.4x 8.6x 28.3x GDS
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 57.2x 45.9x 26.2x NDAQ
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +11.1% +15.8% +11.5% GDS
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 16.4% 30.1% 22.8% GDS
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 5.7% 1.0% 10.5% NDAQ
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 4.3x 3.1x 2.4x NDAQ
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 2.00% — 1.10% EQIX
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +23.5% -33.5% +20.0% EQIX
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +3.8%/yr -16.7%/yr +8.6%/yr NDAQ
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 25.8% 57.1% 28.5% EQIX
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 55/100 70/100 55/100 GDS

Percentile Scorecard

EQIXGDSNDAQ

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisEQIXGDSNDAQ
Valuation 35 #25 of 38 97 #2 of 38 42 #56 of 96
Growth 37 #23 of 36 57 #16 of 36 41 #39 of 65
Profitability 82 #7 of 34 73 #10 of 34 81 #13 of 65
Financial Health 46 #21 of 38 51 #19 of 38 47 #49 of 92
Shareholder Returns 75 #6 of 21 – 65 #14 of 38
Overall 55 70 55
  • EQIX ranked among 39 companies in Cloud Computing
  • GDS ranked among 39 companies in Cloud Computing
  • NDAQ ranked among 110 companies in Capital Markets

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodEQIXGDSNDAQSPY
1 month -0.3%-24.6%+14.0% +0.9%
3 months 0.0%-19.3%+10.5% +5.9%
6 months -7.5%-42.6%+15.6% +8.5%
Year to date +31.5%-31.6%+8.7% +13.3%
1 year +23.5%-33.5%+20.0% +12.4%
3 years +41.8%+148.8%+121.8% +88.1%
3 years, per year +12.4%+35.5%+30.4% +23.5%
5 years +20.4%-59.8%+50.9% +68.2%
5 years, per year +3.8%-16.7%+8.6% +11.0%
10 years +183.9%—+394.1% +263.4%
10 years, per year +11.0%—+17.3% +13.8%

Risk

MeasureEQIXGDSNDAQSPY
Volatility, 1Y 25.8%57.1%28.5% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 22.8%58.2%30.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.562.000.57 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 0.91-0.590.70 0.98
Max drawdown, 5Y -40.2%-91.8%-33.4% -25.4%
From 52-week high -9.7%-49.8%0.0% -0.9%
52-week high $1,115.94$47.52$105.55 $779.14
52-week low $726.09$22.14$76.85 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleEQIXGDSNDAQ
P/E now vs peer median 60.4xmedian 27.6x 8.6xmedian 27.6x 28.3xmedian 30.1x
P/S now vs peer median 9.9xmedian 4.8x 2.8xmedian 4.8x 6.4xmedian 3.0x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 26.6xmedian 24.1x 11.5xmedian 24.1x 19.8xmedian 14.1x
P/FCF now vs peer median -40.0xmedian 15.0x 5.2xmedian 15.0x 26.1xmedian 15.8x
P/B now vs peer median 6.9xmedian 4.4x 1.1xmedian 4.4x 4.9xmedian 2.4x
PEG now vs peer median 2.81median 0.38 0.13median 0.38 1.55median 0.54

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsEQIXGDSNDAQ
Revenue $10.06B $1.75B $9.15B
Gross profit $5.19B $436.56M $5.78B
Operating income $2.26B $82.93M $2.73B
Net income $1.65B $542.46M $2.08B
Free cash flow -$2.49B $952.99M $2.26B
R&D – $4.66M –
EPS (diluted) $16.60 $2.57 $3.70
Cash & equivalents $2.36B $2.20B $365.00M
Total debt $22.63B $15.20B $8.74B
Shares (diluted) 99.28M 205.57M 563.31M
Enterprise value $87.64B -$3.22B $56.38B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricEQIXGDSNDAQ
P/E 60.4x 8.6x 28.3x
P/FCF -40.0x 5.2x 26.1x
P/Operating cash flow 23.9x 9.6x 23.2x
P/S 9.9x 2.8x 6.4x
P/B 6.9x 1.1x 4.9x
P/Tangible book 7.4x 1.1x 10.0x
EV/EBITDA 26.6x 11.5x 19.8x
EV/EBIT 52.5x 81.4x 24.6x
EV/Revenue 11.8x 3.8x 7.3x
EV/FCF -47.6x 7.1x 29.7x
EV/Operating cash flow 28.5x 13.1x 26.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 2.81 0.13 1.55

Growth

14 metrics
MetricEQIXGDSNDAQ
Revenue growth (1Y) 11.1% 15.8% 11.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 7.2% 8.1% 15.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 14.0% 27.6% 13.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 8.4% 14.4% 16.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) 48.1% -57.2% 23.1%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 18.0% -5.5% 20.1%
Net income growth (1Y) 53.8% -14.6% 28.2%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 23.6% 71.9% 23.6%
EPS growth (1Y) 52.2% -26.4% 31.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 21.5% 65.7% 18.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 11.3% 15.3% 9.0%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 11.9% 20.0% 12.8%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) -349.4% 3.3% 7.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) -756.4% -11.1% 11.6%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricEQIXGDSNDAQ
Gross margin 51.6% 24.9% 63.2%
EBITDA margin 44.4% 33.5% 37.0%
Operating margin 22.5% 4.7% 29.8%
Pretax margin 18.3% 14.8% 28.5%
Net margin 16.4% 30.1% 22.8%
FCF margin -24.8% 54.3% 24.7%
Operating cash flow margin 41.5% 29.3% 27.8%
Return on equity 11.4% 12.5% 17.4%
Return on assets 3.8% 4.4% 7.6%
Return on invested capital 5.7% 1.0% 10.5%
Return on capital employed 5.9% 0.8% 12.0%
Asset turnover 0.2x 0.1x 0.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.5x 0.9x 1.2x
Stock comp / revenue 5.4% 2.5% 1.9%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricEQIXGDSNDAQ
Debt / assets 50.9% 31.9% 31.9%
Debt / equity 1.6x 0.9x 0.7x
Net debt / EBITDA 4.3x 3.1x 2.4x
Debt / FCF -9.1x 4.2x 3.9x
Liabilities / assets 67.3% 64.8% 56.2%
Equity / assets 32.7% 35.2% 43.8%
Interest coverage 3.7x 0.4x 7.9x
Current ratio 1.3x 1.8x 1.0x
Quick ratio 1.1x 1.4x 0.4x
Cash ratio 0.8x 1.1x 0.1x
Altman Z-score 2.67 0.64 3.51

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricEQIXGDSNDAQ
Dividend yield 2.0% – 1.1%
Net buyback yield -0.1% – 2.5%
Shareholder yield 1.9% – 3.6%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – –
Payout ratio (FCF) – – –
Dividend growth (1Y) – – –
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – –

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusEQIXGDSNDAQ
Forward P/E 57.2xFY2026 45.9xFY2026 26.2xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $17.61FY2026 $0.52FY2026 $4.03FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +28.0%FY2026 +550.0%FY2026 +15.8%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +10.8% -103.8% +11.2%
Revenue, next fiscal year $10.81BFY2026 $1.96BFY2026 $6.10BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +17.3%FY2026 +20.4%FY2026 +16.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -0.7% +1.6% +13.7%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersEQIXGDSNDAQ
Held by institutions 97.5% 50.9% 83.8%
Institutions holding 1,356 198 1,082
Change in shares held, QoQ +3.3% +15.4% +1.0%
Institutions buying 727 120 538
Institutions selling 420 61 397
Buyers to sellers 1.73 1.97 1.36

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

EQIXGDSNDAQ
EQIX 1.00 0.21 -0.04
GDS 0.21 1.00 0.09
NDAQ -0.04 0.09 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, EQIX, GDS and NDAQ?

Equinix (EQIX) is the largest by market capitalisation: Equinix (EQIX) $99.75B, GDS Holdings (GDS) $4.92B, Nasdaq (NDAQ) $58.94B.

Which stock is cheaper, EQIX, GDS and NDAQ?

GDS Holdings (GDS) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Equinix (EQIX) 60.4x, GDS Holdings (GDS) 8.6x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.3x). On next year's consensus earnings, Nasdaq (NDAQ) is cheapest (Equinix (EQIX) 57.2x, GDS Holdings (GDS) 45.9x, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 26.2x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

GDS Holdings (GDS) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Equinix (EQIX) +11.1%, GDS Holdings (GDS) +15.8%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +11.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

GDS Holdings (GDS) has the highest net margin (Equinix (EQIX) 16.4%, GDS Holdings (GDS) 30.1%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 22.8%). On return on invested capital, Nasdaq (NDAQ) leads (Equinix (EQIX) 5.7%, GDS Holdings (GDS) 1.0%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 10.5%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Equinix (EQIX) returned the most: Equinix (EQIX) +23.5%, GDS Holdings (GDS) -33.5%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +20.0%. Over five years, Nasdaq (NDAQ) compounded fastest (Equinix (EQIX) +3.8%/yr, GDS Holdings (GDS) -16.7%/yr, Nasdaq (NDAQ) +8.6%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Equinix (EQIX) has the highest dividend yield: Equinix (EQIX) 2.00%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 1.10%. GDS Holdings (GDS) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Equinix (EQIX) has been the steadiest (Equinix (EQIX) 25.8%, GDS Holdings (GDS) 57.1%, Nasdaq (NDAQ) 28.5%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, EQIX, GDS and NDAQ?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Equinix (EQIX) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.