Second 50 MW Phase Delivered on Time, Bringing Energized Capacity to 100 MW and Advancing Applied Digital’s AI Factory Campus Toward 400 MWDALLAS, Nov. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Digital (NASDAQ: APLD) today announced the successful and on-time Ready for Service (RFS) for the second phase (50 MW) at the first 100 megawatt (MW) building at Building 1 of its Polaris Forge 1 AI Factory Campus in Ellendale, North Dakota. After achieving this milestone, Building 1 now operates at its full 100 MW critic ...

Core Insights - Applied Digital's Polaris Forge 2 development signifies the company's expansion into AI-focused data center infrastructure, starting with an initial 300 megawatts of IT load and potential scaling to a full gigawatt as power becomes available [1][2] - The success of Polaris Forge 1, which is fully leased at 400 megawatts and has approximately $11 billion in long-term contracted revenues, sets a precedent for the second campus [1] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 revenues is projected at $280.9 million, indicating potential growth as new capacity is deployed [1] Development Context - Polaris Forge 2 is being developed amid rising demand for liquid-cooled, high-density AI infrastructure, with limited power-ready sites available [2] - The project is designed to meet customer needs for clear construction schedules and advanced cooling capabilities as demand trends into 2026 and 2027 [2] Broader Infrastructure Factors - Applied Digital has 700 megawatts under construction and a 4-gigawatt active development pipeline, which may influence the pace of Polaris Forge 2's development [3] - Factors such as labor availability, material lead times, financing costs, and shifts in regional power markets could impact scheduling and spending for the project [3] Competitive Landscape - Applied Digital faces competition from both emerging and established providers, such as Riot Platforms and Equinix, who are also expanding their capacities for AI workloads [4] - Riot Platforms aims to exceed one gigawatt of future capacity, while Equinix operates over 260 data centers globally, focusing on power-dense environments [4] - APLD differentiates itself through its focus on purpose-built, liquid-cooled infrastructure and rapid development at sites like Polaris Forge 2 [4] Stock Performance and Valuation - Applied Digital's stock has increased by 179.7% year to date, significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector and the Zacks Financial-Miscellaneous Services industry, both of which returned 11.2% [5] - The company's stock is considered overvalued, with a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 15.01X compared to the sector's 8.93X, resulting in a Value Score of F [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 loss is projected at 31 cents per share, a narrowing of six cents over the past 30 days, compared to a loss of 80 cents per share in the previous year [11]

Core Viewpoint - Applied Digital Corporation's shares are experiencing a decline, influenced by the reversal in NVIDIA Corporation's stock following its strong earnings report [1] Group 1: Stock Performance and Trading Behavior - Analysts suggest that the decline in Applied Digital's shares is linked to traders placing sell orders at specific price levels, creating resistance [1] - The stock has seen significant trading activity around the $21.50 level, where traders identified support and decided to buy [5] - Traders who sold shares in October at higher prices are now regretting their decisions as the stock rallied, leading to increased buy orders at the $21.50 support level [6] Group 2: Price Levels and Trading Strategies - Successful trading strategies involve recognizing important price levels and using them as targets for entry and exit [3] - The $30.70 price level is highlighted as a potential resistance point, where traders who previously bought may look to sell to break even [7] - The presence of a large number of sell orders at the $30.70 level could create a ceiling on the stock price, indicating a logical selling point for traders [6][7]

Core Viewpoint - U.S. cryptocurrency mining companies experienced significant pre-market gains on November 20, with notable increases in stock prices for several firms [1] Company Performance - APLD saw an increase of over 14% [1] - CIFR rose by more than 11% [1] - IREN experienced a gain of over 8% [1] - WULF increased by more than 7% [1]

Core Viewpoint - APLD, CIFR, IREN, and WULF experienced significant stock price increases, with APLD rising over 14%, CIFR over 11%, IREN over 8%, and WULF over 7% [1] Company Performance - APLD saw a stock price increase of more than 14% [1] - CIFR's stock rose by over 11% [1] - IREN's shares increased by more than 8% [1] - WULF experienced a stock price rise of over 7% [1] Industry Trends - The notable increases in stock prices for these companies indicate a positive trend within the industry [1]

Core Viewpoint - Cryptocurrency mining stocks experienced a significant increase in value, indicating a positive market sentiment towards the sector [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - TeraWulf (WULF.US) rose over 6.7% [1] - Cipher Mining (CIFR.US) increased by more than 6% [1] - IREN Ltd (IREN.US) saw a 6% rise [1] - Applied Digital (APLD.US) gained over 5.8% [1]

Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) is positioning itself as a critical infrastructure provider for the AI revolution, focusing on purpose-built data centers for high-performance computing workloads [1] - The company’s proprietary liquid cooling system enhances energy efficiency and sustainability, addressing key constraints for hyperscalers [2] - APLD's expansion plans, including a 400 MW capacity at Polaris Forge 1, indicate strong market demand for specialized AI infrastructure [3][4] Infrastructure and Market Demand - The active pipeline of 4 gigawatts and discussions with hyperscalers suggest robust demand for AI-specific capacity [4] - APLD achieved a significant operational milestone with the first 50-MW phase at Polaris Forge 1, transitioning from construction to revenue generation [4] Financial Performance and Growth Projections - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal second-quarter revenues is $75.95 million, reflecting an 18.91% year-over-year increase [5] - APLD's aggressive capital deployment across multiple projects may introduce execution complexities, impacting revenue growth sustainability [5] Competitive Landscape - APLD faces competition from Riot Platforms and Equinix, both of which are expanding their capabilities in AI infrastructure [6] - Riot Platforms operates large power-dense sites and shares regional advantages with APLD, while Equinix leverages its extensive global network of data centers [6] Stock Performance and Valuation - APLD shares have increased by 200.2% year to date, significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector [7] - The stock is considered overvalued with a forward price/sales ratio of 16.2X compared to the sector's 8.93X [10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second-quarter fiscal 2026 loss is 10 cents per share, indicating a wider loss compared to the previous year [12]

Core Insights - PropNotes focuses on identifying high-yield investment opportunities for individual investors, leveraging a background in professional Prop Trading to simplify complex concepts and provide actionable insights [1] Group 1 - The analysis produced by the company aims to assist investors in making informed market decisions, supported by expert research that is unique [1] Group 2 - The company encourages individual investors to take control of their portfolios by following their insights and recommendations [1]

Core Insights - APLD has experienced significant options activity, with a notable trade of 71,000 contracts for $25 calls, indicating potential bullish sentiment or a delta-neutral strategy [4][5][6] - The stock has seen a dramatic increase of over 200% in the past year, primarily due to its shift towards AI-focused data-center infrastructure [6][15] - APLD's recent financial performance shows an 84% increase in revenue year-over-year, but the company remains unprofitable with a net loss of $27.8 million for fiscal Q1 2026 [15][16] Options Activity - The large block of call options traded on Nov. 14 suggests that traders are positioning for a significant price movement in APLD, with a breakeven point around $26.50, approximately 12% above the stock's closing price [3][7] - Implied volatility for the options is at 114%, while historical volatility is around 97%, indicating elevated but not extreme volatility levels [2][22] - The surge in options volume coincided with a jump in share volume to 44 million, suggesting that traders are reacting to the options activity [8] Financial Performance - APLD reported $64.2 million in revenue for fiscal Q1 2026, marking an 84% increase from the previous year, driven by installation work for new AI clients [15] - Despite revenue growth, the company is still deep in the buildout phase and remains unprofitable, with a focus on transitioning to a recurring-revenue model [16][18] - The stock's valuation reflects high expectations for future growth, with a price-to-sales ratio of approximately 46x compared to a sector average of 3.4x [18] Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - Wall Street analysts remain positive on APLD, with nine out of ten rating it a "buy" and an average price target of around $40 per share, indicating potential upside from current levels [19] - The stock has pulled back roughly 36% from its October highs, creating a scenario where a short-term rebound could be plausible, especially with potential macro catalysts on the horizon [20][21] - The company's strategic pivot towards AI infrastructure and partnerships with major players like Nvidia positions it favorably within the emerging AI ecosystem [14][19]

Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) shares are currently overvalued, indicated by a Value Score of F, with a forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S) ratio of 16.76X compared to the industry average of 3.06X [1][2] - The premium valuation reflects investor sentiment regarding APLD's positioning in the AI infrastructure segment, as the company transitions from cryptocurrency hosting to developing AI-focused data centers [2][4] - APLD's year-to-date performance shows a significant appreciation of 209.5%, contrasting with a 6.4% decline in the sub-industry, indicating that much of the long-term AI infrastructure narrative is already priced in [4][12] Valuation and Revenue Visibility - APLD's valuation is significantly higher than peers like RIOT Platforms and Equinix, which trade at P/S ratios of 7.04X and 7.77X, respectively [1][7] - The company has approximately $11 billion in contracted lease revenue with CoreWeave, providing a multi-year revenue outlook as the first 100-megawatt building nears readiness [8][10] - For the fiscal second quarter, revenue estimates are projected at $75.95 million, reflecting an 18.91% year-over-year increase, as capacity comes online [8][10] Capital Structure and Growth Potential - APLD's capital structure supports development plans while minimizing reliance on equity issuance, having drawn $112.5 million from a $5 billion preferred equity facility [9][10] - The company expects to access $20-$25 billion in capital capacity for large-scale developments, aligning with the rising demand for AI-focused infrastructure [10][11] - APLD is advancing 700 megawatts of construction and has a 4-gigawatt development pipeline, indicating robust growth potential in response to market demand [11][12] Conclusion - APLD is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for AI infrastructure, supported by long-term contracts and a substantial development pipeline [12] - However, the near-term outlook remains uncertain with elevated loss estimates, and the stock's significant appreciation may pose risks for new investors [12]