Equinix, DFT Pace Second Quarter Winners

Data center developer DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT) and colocation provider Equinix (EQIX) had the strongest performances among public companies in the data center industry in the second quarter of 2012, notching double-digit gains amid a mixed showing for the sector. Shares of DuPont Fabros rose 16.8 percent in the three month period ending June 30, boosted by strong leasing at its new data center properties.  DFT signed up tenants for more than 18 megawatts of data center space at its new ACC6 data center in Ashburn.

Equinix continued its strong performance, which has helped the company's shares soar 73 percent so far this year, including an 11 percent rise in the second quarter. The company has benefited from investor interest in the future of cloud computing. Equinix has become a key enabler of cloud computing by providing network connectivity through its data center hubs, which bring together dozens of providers in a single location.

Here's a look at the industry's top performers in the second quarter:

DC-Stox-2Q2012

At the other end of the spectrum, it was a tough quarter for Rackspace Hosting (RAX), which had been one of the big winners in the first quarter of 2012. Shares of Rackspace declined sharply in May after the cloud computing provider’s earnings fell just short of analyst expectations.

Equinix wasn't the only company posting strong gains in the first half of 2012, as CoreSite Realty (COR) rewarded its investors with a 44.9 percent return while shares of Interxion (INXN) gained 34.6 percent. Wholesale data center developers Digital Realty Trust and DFT also had double-digit gains for the first half. The only companies in the sector that were underwater in the first six months were content delivery newtorks Akamai Technologies (AKAM) and Limelight Networks (LLNW).

dc-stox-1H2012