COLD vs STAG Stock Comparison
Compare COLD and STAG across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between COLD and STAG?
STAG leads the current stock comparison as STAG Industrial, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. vs STAG Industrial, Inc.
STAG leads
STAG leads by 14 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, and the lead has widened from 1 points over 30 sessions.
Stable: 4 of 6 evidence groups support STAG, its lead is widening, and its signal state is cleanly positive.
Americold Realty Trust, Inc.
STAG Industrial, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors STAG over COLD, 49 versus 35 as of Sep 11, 2026. STAG's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while COLD holds the stronger value profile. STAG also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor STAG today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability: analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. STAG lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 14 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Americold Realty Trust, Inc. and STAG Industrial, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare COLD and STAG against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Quality1 vs 50STAG +49
- Value64 vs 39COLD +25
- Risk Resilience44 vs 64STAG +20
- Momentum36 vs 49STAG +13
4 of 6 evidence groups favor STAG. STAG’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; COLD keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.
Largest factor move: Momentum +5
No new signals fired.
Largest factor move: Momentum -5
No new signals fired.
STAG's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — COLD and STAG both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
STAG (STAG Industrial, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.
COLD (Americold Realty Trust, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 32% against 9.8%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
STAGSTAG on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
STAGSTAG on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
COLDCOLD on the peer-relative Value factor, by 25 points.
Momentum
STAGSTAG on the Momentum factor, by 13 points.
Lower downside
STAGSTAG on Risk Resilience, by 20 points.
Analyst upside
STAGSTAG on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | COLD | STAG | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +9.2% | +48.1% | STAG has more room |
| Target dispersion | +43.9% | +181.8% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 8 | 5 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor STAG. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | STAG | 35 vs 49 |
| Fundamentals | STAG | EPS growth -24.1% vs -12.5%; TTM ROE -16.4% vs 6.9%; gross margin -4.2% vs 62%; operating margin 4.5% vs 37.6% |
| Valuation | COLD | Value 64 vs 39 |
| Technicals | COLD | Price vs 50-day -2.3% vs -3.2%; vs 200-day 5.3% vs -3.3% |
| Risk Resilience | STAG | Risk Resilience 44 vs 64 |
| Analyst expectations | STAG | Target upside 9.2% vs 48.1% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of COLD and STAG and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 14 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's signal state is cleanly positive. (supports the conclusion holding)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on STAG.
How the comparison changed
119 daily snapshots · May 4 – Sep 10STAG lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 14 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- STAG +14
- 35 vs 49
- 7 sessions ago
- STAG +13
- 38 vs 51
- 30 sessions ago
- STAG +1
- 43 vs 44
- 90 sessions ago
- STAG +9
- 45 vs 54
The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Aug 24 when STAG moved ahead of COLD.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
1 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (11.57%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.53%)
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (0.55%)
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
COLD is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +3.54%, AIQ +1 points).
Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.73%, AIQ -1 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1COLD closes the Quality gap — currently 49 points behind, the largest single contributor to STAG's edge.
- 2COLD's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend.
- 3STAG's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
STAG leads on balance| Metric | COLD | STAG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 5.2% | 0.1% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -24.1% | -12.5% |
| Gross margin | -4.2% | 62% |
| Operating margin | 4.5% | 37.6% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | -16.4% | 6.9% |
| Debt to equity | 1.91 | 0.96 |
Performance
COLD leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | COLD | STAG |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -3.2% | -1.5% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -3.3% | -0.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -1.7% | -2.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 19.3% | -3.8% |
| Year to date | 9.8% | 0.3% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 4.4% | 0.7% |
Technicals
COLD has the stronger structure| Metric | COLD | STAG |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 36.1 | 58.8 |
| ADX (14) | 16.6 | 18.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | -2.3% | -3.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | 5.3% | -3.3% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 32% | 9.8% |
Risk
STAG is the more resilient| Metric | COLD | STAG |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.62 | 0.33 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.23 | 0 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.47 | 0 |
| Max drawdown | -26.6% | -13.5% |
| Current drawdown | -13.1% | -12.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 44.7% | 19.4% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.7% | -1.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, COLD or STAG?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, STAG is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 49 against COLD's 35. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. COLD is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is COLD or STAG the better buy right now?
STAG carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 2026, and the comparison is rated Stable — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Stable rating means the gap is wide and the evidence is broad, so the conclusion is unlikely to turn on a single session.
Why does the AIQ Score favor STAG over COLD?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. STAG leads Quality by 49 points; COLD leads Value by 25 points; STAG leads Risk Resilience by 20 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, COLD or STAG?
Analyst price targets imply +9.2% upside for COLD and +48.1% for STAG, so the Street currently favors STAG. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, COLD or STAG?
COLD is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. COLD on the peer-relative Value factor, by 25 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, COLD or STAG?
STAG on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, COLD or STAG?
STAG on the Momentum factor, by 13 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, COLD or STAG?
STAG is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. STAG on Risk Resilience, by 20 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is COLD more profitable than STAG?
STAG leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin -4.2% vs 62%; operating margin 4.5% vs 37.6%; ttm roe -16.4% vs 6.9%.
Is STAG's lead over COLD getting stronger or weaker?
STAG lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 14 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands once in that window, most recently on 2026-08-24, when STAG moved ahead of COLD.
What would change the COLD vs STAG verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: COLD closes the Quality gap — currently 49 points behind, the largest single contributor to STAG's edge; COLD's Bollinger Band Squeeze turns directional — it is neutral today and would confirm a change in trend; STAG's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about COLD and STAG?
COLD: 1 bullish / 1 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted. STAG: 2 bullish / 0 bearish / 1 neutral. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on COLD is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On STAG it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare COLD and STAG with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.