Digital Tools And Urban Densification Will Unlock Self Storage Value

Key Takeaways

• Urban densification and evolving business trends are fueling sustained demand for self-storage, supporting occupancy, cash flow stability, and margin resilience for Public Storage.
  
• Strategic expansion, industry consolidation, and digital initiatives are driving operational efficiencies, positioning the company for ongoing growth and strong shareholder returns.
  
• Oversupply, regulatory risks, margin compression from discounting, prolonged asset stabilization, and rising operational costs threaten sustained profitability and revenue growth.

Catalysts

A member of the S&P 500, is a REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns, and operates self-storage facilities.

• Urban densification and the continued shrinkage of residential living space in major metro markets are driving durable demand for self-storage, benefiting Public Storage's occupancy rates and supporting long-term revenue growth, as evidenced by robust leasing activity and positive stabilization trends in high-density regions like the West Coast.
  
• An accelerating shift in consumer and business behavior, including the growth of small businesses, e-commerce, and "side hustles," is fueling resilient demand for flexible storage solutions, which underpins stable cash flows and enables Public Storage to maintain strong net operating income and margin resilience across macro cycles.
  
• Strategic portfolio expansion, including $1.1 billion in recent acquisitions/development and successful lease-up of new and non-same-store assets, is expected to drive future revenue and NOI growth, positioning the company to benefit from ongoing industry consolidation and market share gains.
  
• Rapid adoption of digital tools and automation, including enhanced online leasing, data-driven pricing, and centralized operations, is expected to support further margin expansion through operational efficiencies and cost control, as ongoing initiatives in technology and process optimization mature.
  
• Strong financial flexibility-demonstrated by industry-leading access to low-cost capital, robust retained cash flow, and advantageous debt refinancing-enables Public Storage to continue reinvesting in growth opportunities (including international expansion) and returning capital to shareholders, supporting EPS and long-term value creation.

Public Storage Future Earnings and Revenue Growth

Assumptions

• Analysts are assuming Public Storage's revenue will grow by 4.3% annually over the next 3 years.
• Analysts assume that profit margins will increase from 33.9% today to 38.0% in 3 years time.
• Analysts expect earnings to reach $2.1 billion (and earnings per share of $11.55) by about August 2028, up from $1.6 billion today. The analysts are largely in agreement about this estimate.
• In order for the above numbers to justify the analysts price target, the company would need to trade at a PE ratio of 34.7x on those 2028 earnings, up from 30.8x today. This future PE is greater than the current PE for the US Specialized REITs industry at 28.3x.
• Analysts expect the number of shares outstanding to grow by 0.25% per year for the next 3 years.
• To value all of this in today's terms, we will use a discount rate of 7.13%, as per the Simply Wall St company report.

Public Storage Future Earnings Per Share Growth

Risks

• Persistent industry oversupply in key Sunbelt and Southeast markets (e.g., Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix, Charlotte), combined with slow demand normalization, is weighing on pricing power and could suppress long-term revenue growth and net operating income.
  
• Legislative risk remains elevated in California and potentially other states, with ongoing threats of rent control and pricing transparency initiatives that may restrict Public Storage's ability to raise rents, directly impacting revenue and net margins from high-exposure regions.
  
• Short-term performance improvements are heavily driven by move-in rate discounts and increased marketing spend, a strategy that could compress net margins and set a difficult precedent for transitioning back to higher street rates, especially if industry demand weakens or competition intensifies.
  
• The property portfolio includes a significant number of lease-up and newly developed assets that, while currently outperforming, may require longer stabilization timeframes in a higher cost and slower growth environment, potentially lowering realized earnings and free cash flow.
  
• The operational landscape faces cost inflation from rising property tax, insurance, and utility costs (even with solar initiatives), which, if not offset by efficiency gains or rent increases, could exert downward pressure on net margins and long-term profitability.

Valuation

• The analysts have a consensus price target of $327.526 for Public Storage based on their expectations of its future earnings growth, profit margins and other risk factors. However, there is a degree of disagreement amongst analysts, with the most bullish reporting a price target of $378.0, and the most bearish reporting a price target of just $287.0.
• In order for you to agree with the analyst's consensus, you'd need to believe that by 2028, revenues will be $5.4 billion, earnings will come to $2.1 billion, and it would be trading on a PE ratio of 34.7x, assuming you use a discount rate of 7.1%.
• Given the current share price of $283.18, the analyst price target of $327.53 is 13.5% higher.
• We always encourage you to reach your own conclusions though. So sense check these analyst numbers against your own assumptions and expectations based on your understanding of the business and what you believe is probable.