Blackstone to Buy Data Center Operator QTS for 21 Percent Premium

Prashant Gopal (Bloomberg) -- Blackstone Group Inc. has agreed to acquire data center operator QTS Realty Trust Inc. in a deal valued at roughly $10 billion.

Blackstone Infrastructure Partners and BREIT, the private equity firm’s nontraded real estate investment trust, have agreed to pay $78 a share for QTS, according to a statement Monday. The price represents a 21% premium to the closing share price of QTS on Friday.

Including debt, the transaction is valued at about $10 billion.

QTS operates data centers, with more than than 7 million square feet of space in North America and Europe.

Shares of QTS jumped as high as $78.65 on Monday in New York. The stock had gained 4.2% this year through Friday, when it closed at $64.49.