US-based operator CyrusOne has become a takeover target after a year of overseas expansion put its finances in the red, according to a report by Bloomberg.

A real estate trust with nearly £6bn invested in 49 data centres, CyrusOne grew its portfolio modestly this year with buildings in London, Frankfurt and Holland. It grew in Silicon Valley as well, and invested nearly $250m in 12 months. But its profits plummeted in the last three months, by more than $100m.

Its share price, flagging for the last nine months, and spluttering for the last two years, got a boost as Bloomberg reported that three other investment firms were considering buying it out. It peaked at an all-time high of $75, a 16 percent boost, when the news broke in the US on Friday. It settled near $70 (6 percent up). Stocks of other data center investment firms jumped at the news as well, according to the website Seeking Alpha.

CyrusOne did not comment on the news Friday, and was not available to comment when it opened in Dallas today. Bloomberg said potential bidders included investment firms Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners and KKR & Co, private equity investor I Squared Capital.

The Dallas-based operator's current share price would value it at $7.9bn. Its recent European expansion included two data centers in the Netherlands, and one each in London and Frankfurt. It declared plans for two in Ireland as well. In 2017, it bought European data center operator Zenium Technology Partners for $442m.

A spokesman for CyrusOne said it did not comment on market speculation.