Investment Rating - The report assigns a "Buy" rating for VNET Group, with a 12-month price target of US$13, indicating a potential upside of 115.2% from the current price of US$6.04 [13][15]. Core Insights - VNET Group reported strong 1Q25 results, with revenue increasing by 18% year-over-year to Rmb2,246 million, and adjusted EBITDA rising by 26% year-over-year to Rmb682 million, both exceeding consensus estimates [1][3]. - The company is transitioning from a traditional retail IDC operator to a rapidly growing wholesale IDC operator, with expectations of significant revenue and EBITDA growth driven by increased AI investments [13]. - Wholesale IDC revenue is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 52% from 2024 to 2027, while EBITDA is expected to grow at a CAGR of 50% during the same period [13]. Financial Performance - In 1Q25, wholesale IDC revenue surged by 86% year-over-year, accounting for 30% of total revenue, while retail IDC revenue grew by 5% year-over-year, marking its first positive growth since 4Q23 [1][3]. - The average monthly service revenue (MSR) increased by 7% year-over-year but decreased by 19% quarter-over-quarter to Rmb568k per MW per month [7]. - The company maintained its full-year guidance for 2025, with a capex plan of Rmb10-12 billion [1]. Capacity and Orders - VNET secured 119MW of wholesale orders in 1Q25, including significant contracts with leading cloud computing customers [2]. - As of 1Q25, VNET had 573MW of wholesale capacity in service, with a commitment rate nearing 100% [11][4]. - The total capacity under construction decreased to 377MW, while the total capacity held for future development is 670MW [11]. Market Position and Outlook - VNET is positioned as a leading carrier-neutral data center operator in China, with approximately 74% of its 2024 revenue derived from IDCs [13]. - The report suggests that rising contributions from wholesale IDC revenue and EBITDA may lead to continued upward re-rating of multiples and valuation compounding for VNET [13].

Core Insights - Both Century Internet and GDS Services reported significant growth in their Q1 2025 financial results, driven by the increasing demand for computing power due to AIGC [2][3][4] - Despite the growth, challenges remain in the commercialization transformation of IDC service providers in China [2][8] Century Internet Financial Performance - Century Internet's total revenue for Q1 2025 increased by 18.3% year-on-year, reaching 2.25 billion RMB; adjusted EBITDA grew by 26.4% to 682 million RMB, with an EBITDA margin improvement of 1.9 percentage points to 30.4% [3][4] - The operational capacity of base IDC increased by 18.1% quarter-on-quarter, adding approximately 88 MW to reach 573 MW, while the rack capacity grew by 23.9% to 437 MW, marking a historical high of 84 MW in new rack capacity [3][6] - The monthly recurring revenue per cabinet in urban IDC facilities rose to 8,898 RMB, with a slight increase in the rack utilization rate to 63.7% [3][6] GDS Services Financial Performance - GDS Services reported a net income of 2.7232 billion RMB (375.3 million USD) for Q1 2025, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 12.0%; adjusted EBITDA reached 1.3238 billion RMB (182.4 million USD), up by 16.1%, with an EBITDA margin of 48.6% [4] - The total usage area of GDS data centers grew by 14.6% year-on-year, with an additional 18,687 square meters, bringing the total usage area to 462,423 square meters and a utilization rate of 75.7% [4] Strategic Focus and Differentiation - Century Internet is focusing on domestic base IDC business, while GDS Services is expanding its international presence through its newly established entity, DayOne, which aims to leverage its domestic experience to enter Southeast Asia and Japan [6][7] - DayOne has made significant progress, securing new data center contracts in Thailand and Finland, with a total expected capacity exceeding 220 MW, aiming for a total pre-signed capacity of over 750 MW by the end of 2025 [7] Commercialization Challenges - The IDC service industry in China is facing challenges in its traditional business model, with increasing price sensitivity among users leading to declining cabinet prices [8] - Both Century Internet and GDS Services are exploring new business models, including the establishment of a Pre-REITs fund by Century Internet and the issuance of asset-backed securities by GDS Services [8][9] - The potential for REITs in the data center sector remains uncertain, with experts expressing skepticism about the ability to generate attractive returns for investors in the domestic market [10][11]

VNET Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:VNET) Q1 2025 - Earnings Conference Call May 28, 2025 8:00 AM ET Company Participants Xinyuan Liu - Director of Investor Relations Ju Ma - Rotating President and General Manager of the AIDC Strategic Business Group Qiyu Wang - Chief Financial Officer Conference Call Participants Tom Tang - Morgan Stanley Edison Lee - Jefferies Daley Li - Bank of America Securities Louis Tseng - Citi Sarah Wong - UBS Operator Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for standing by for the First Quarte ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total net revenues increased by 18.3% year over year to RMB 2.25 billion for Q1 2025, driven by strong growth in the wholesale business [10][19] - Adjusted EBITDA rose by 26.4% year over year to RMB 682 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.4%, up 1.9 percentage points year over year [10][21] - Wholesale revenues reached a record high of RMB 673 million for the quarter, representing a year-over-year growth rate of 86.5% [10][19] - Adjusted cash gross profit increased by 26.4% to RMB 967.8 million, with adjusted cash gross margins improving to 43.1% from 40.3% in the same period last year [20][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wholesale IDC business capacity in service grew 18.1% quarter over quarter to 573 megawatts, with a utilization rate of 76.2% [9][13] - Retail capacity in service was 51,960 cabinets, with a slight increase in utilization rate to 63.7% [14] - Retail revenues increased by 4.8% to RMB 968.3 million, while the monthly recurring revenue (MRR) per retail cabinet rose to RMB 8,898 [14][20] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The demand for premium IDC services surged due to the explosive growth of AI applications, with retail IDC business revenues from customer private deployments of open-source large language models increasing by 309% in March compared to January [12] - The company secured new orders across various sectors, including a 55 megawatt order from a leading cloud computing customer and a 64 megawatt order from an internet customer [11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on leveraging its high-performance data center network and reliable solutions to meet growing customer demand, driving growth in China's digital economy [16][27] - The company plans to maintain a robust expansion plan to prepare for further business growth, particularly in the wholesale IDC sector [13][24] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the growth potential of the China market, driven by the increasing maturity of open-source model technology and the expansion of intelligent application scenarios [12][27] - The company reiterated its full-year guidance for 2025, expecting total net revenues between RMB 9.1 billion to RMB 9.3 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 10% to 13% [24] Other Important Information - The company issued $430 million of convertible senior notes at an interest rate of 2.5% per annum and secured a sustainability-linked loan of RMB 500 million at a 3.7% interest rate [10][21] - The company achieved significant progress in its ESG initiatives, including a fivefold increase in energy usage from renewable sources [26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on customer demand after the H20 chip ban - Management noted a short-term impact on demand from hyperscalers due to the H20 chip embargo, but clients quickly adjusted, and current orders are sufficient to fill capacities for this year and the first half of next year [29][31] Question: Retail demand and MRR increase drivers - Most new retail contracts are driven by AI applications, and the increase in MRR is attributed to repurposing cabinets for high-voltage needs, allowing for higher pricing [36][38] Question: Gross profit margin improvement drivers - The improvement in gross profit margin is due to a higher proportion of wholesale IDC services and the repurposing of cabinets for higher-margin retail services [40][42] Question: Plans for a Hong Kong IPO and electricity costs - The company is exploring a potential dual listing in Hong Kong but has no specific timeline yet; utility bills remain stable with no expected decline [49][51] Question: Utilization rate outlook - Management is confident in a positive utilization ramp-up for the next three to four quarters due to strong client demand and effective delivery plans [53][55]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total net revenues increased by 18.3% year over year to RMB 2.25 billion for Q1 2025, driven by strong growth in the wholesale business [7][17] - Adjusted EBITDA rose by 26.4% year over year to RMB 682 million, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.4%, up 1.9 percentage points year over year [8][19] - Wholesale revenues reached a record high of RMB 673 million for the quarter, representing an impressive year over year growth rate of 86.5% [7][17] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Wholesale IDC business capacity in service grew 18.1% quarter over quarter to 573 megawatts, with a utilization rate of 76.2% [7][12] - Retail capacity in service was 51,960 cabinets, with a utilization rate increasing slightly to 63.7% [13] - Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) per retail cabinet increased to RMB 8,898, driven by AI-driven demand [13][37] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The demand for premium IDC services surged due to the explosive growth of AI development in China, particularly for private deployments of open-source large language models, which increased by 309% in March compared to January [11] - The company secured new orders across various sectors, including internet, finance, local services, intelligent driving, and gaming [10][36] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on leveraging its high-performance data center network and reliable solutions to meet growing customer demand, driving growth in China's digital economy [14][25] - A dual-core strategy is being implemented to secure high-quality orders from various industries [6][14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted that the short-term impact of the H20 chip embargo has been mitigated, with sustained demand expected from hyperscalers [28][30] - The company remains confident in the growth potential of the Chinese market, driven by the increasing maturity of open-source model technology [12] Other Important Information - The company issued $430 million in convertible senior notes and secured a sustainability-linked loan of RMB 500 million [9] - Capital expenditures for 2025 are expected to be between RMB 10 billion and RMB 12 billion, aimed at supporting significant capacity deliveries [21][22] Q&A Session Summary Question: Update on customer demand after the H20 chip ban - Management acknowledged a short-term impact on demand but noted that hyperscalers quickly adjusted, and current orders are sufficient to fill capacities for this year and the first half of next year [28][30] Question: Retail demand and MRR increase drivers - Most new retail contracts are AI-driven, and the increase in MRR is attributed to higher pricing for high-voltage cabinets [36][37] Question: Drivers for gross profit margin improvement - The improvement is due to a higher proportion of wholesale IDC services and repurposing cabinets for higher-margin retail services [40][41] Question: Plans for an IPO in Hong Kong - The company is exploring a potential dual listing in Hong Kong but did not provide a specific timeline [47] Question: Impact of electricity costs on EBITDA margin - Management indicated that utility bills are stable, with no expected impact on EBITDA margins [48] Question: Visibility of utilization ramp-up into next year - Management expressed confidence in continued demand and a pleasant move-in rhythm from clients for the upcoming quarters [50]

Financial Performance - Total net revenues for 1Q25 reached RMB 2,246 million, an increase of 18.3% year-over-year and 3.5% quarter-over-quarter[8] - Wholesale IDC revenue for 1Q25 reached RMB 673 million, representing a significant increase of 86.5% year-over-year and 14.1% quarter-over-quarter[8] - Adjusted EBITDA for 1Q25 reached RMB 682 million, up 26.4% year-over-year and 18.1% quarter-over-quarter[8] - Adjusted cash gross profit reached RMB 968 million in 1Q25, with an adjusted cash gross margin of 43.1%[39] IDC Business Growth - Wholesale IDC business capacity in service increased to 573MW, with a quarter-over-quarter increase of 88MW, representing an 18.1% growth[8] - Wholesale IDC business capacity utilized increased to 437MW, a quarter-over-quarter increase of 84MW, representing a 23.9% growth[8] - The retail IDC business maintained a stable utilization rate of 63.7% in 1Q25[8] - The company secured a total of 129MW in new orders, including 55MW from a cloud computing customer, 64MW from an Internet customer, and 6MW from an intelligent driving customer for the wholesale IDC business[8, 9] Capacity and Infrastructure - Wholesale capacity in service is primarily located in the Yangtze River Delta (52.1%) and Greater Beijing Area (47.9%)[18] - Wholesale capacity under construction is heavily concentrated in the Greater Beijing Area (89.5%)[19] - The company expects FY2025 capital expenditure to be between RMB 10 billion and RMB 12 billion to support delivery plans[59, 62] Future Outlook - The company anticipates revenues between RMB 9,100 million and RMB 9,300 million for FY2025, implying a year-over-year growth of 10% to 13%[62] - Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be between RMB 2,700 million and RMB 2,760 million for FY2025, indicating a year-over-year growth of 15% to 18%[62] - The company plans to deliver between 400MW and 450MW in FY2025, a significant increase compared to the 153MW delivered in FY2024[62]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article emphasizes the importance of new generation information technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing, in driving economic and social transformation [2] - The collaboration between China Telecom Guangdong and Century Internet Group aims to build an intelligent computing data center cluster in the Greater Bay Area, focusing on the application of emerging technologies like AI and big data in key industries [3] - The partnership will establish a comprehensive strategic collaboration mechanism in areas such as communication networks, data center operations, and cloud computing services, leveraging each other's resources and technological advantages [4] Group 2 - The signing marks a commitment to jointly promote the construction and commercialization of computing resource pools, with a focus on GPU intelligent computing resource pool projects [4] - The collaboration aims to create a more efficient, intelligent, and green digital infrastructure service system, addressing diverse business scenario needs through innovative resource allocation mechanisms [4]

Exhibit 99.1 VNET Reports Unaudited First Quarter 2025 Financial Results BEIJING, May 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- VNET Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: VNET) ("VNET" or the "Company"), a leading carrier- and cloud-neutral internet data center services provider in China, today announced its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. "We kicked off 2025 with a strong first quarter thanks to excellent execution of our effective dual-core strategy," said Josh Sheng Chen, Founder, Executive Chairpe ...

Core Viewpoint - VNET Group, Inc. reported strong financial results for the first quarter of 2025, driven by significant growth in its wholesale IDC business and effective execution of its dual-core strategy [2][11][25]. Financial Highlights - Total net revenues increased by 18.3% year-over-year to RMB2.25 billion (US$309.5 million) from RMB1.90 billion in the same period of 2024 [6][11]. - Net revenues from the IDC business rose by 27.8% to RMB1.64 billion (US$226.2 million) from RMB1.28 billion in the same period of 2024 [12]. - Wholesale revenues surged by 86.5% to RMB673.2 million (US$92.8 million) from RMB361.0 million in the same period of 2024 [17]. - Retail revenues increased by 4.8% to RMB968.3 million (US$133.4 million) from RMB923.7 million in the same period of 2024 [17]. - Adjusted EBITDA grew by 26.4% year-over-year to RMB682.4 million (US$94.0 million), with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.4%, up from 28.4% in the same period of 2024 [20]. Operational Highlights - As of March 31, 2025, wholesale capacity in service increased by 88MW quarter-over-quarter to 573MW, with utilized capacity reaching a record high of 437MW [2][6]. - The utilization rate of wholesale capacity was 76.2% as of March 31, 2025, compared to 72.6% as of December 31, 2024 [6][12]. - Total capacity committed was 571MW as of March 31, 2025, with a commitment rate for capacity in service of 99.7% [6][12]. Business Outlook - The company expects total net revenues for 2025 to be between RMB9,100 million to RMB9,300 million, representing year-over-year growth of 10% to 13% [25]. - Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be in the range of RMB2,700 million to RMB2,760 million, indicating year-over-year growth of 11% to 14% [25].

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the articles highlights Century Internet's strong financial performance and its position as a leading digital infrastructure provider in China, with significant growth in revenue and net profit [1][2] - As of December 31, 2024, Century Internet's total revenue is projected to be 8.259 billion RMB, representing a year-on-year growth of 11.41%, while the net profit attributable to shareholders is expected to reach 183 million RMB, showing a remarkable increase of 106.93% [1] - The company operates over 50 data centers across more than 30 cities in China, with a base business operational capacity exceeding 480 MW and over 52,000 cabinets in urban business operations [2] Group 2 - Century Internet has established a robust digital infrastructure in key regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau, facilitating smooth data migration from first-tier cities to edge cities [2] - As a strategic partner of Microsoft, Century Internet operates international-standard cloud services including Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform in China [2] - The company has built a solid foundation for business development for over 6,000 high-quality enterprise clients, including nearly 100 leading companies in high-growth industries, leveraging its strong resources, technological innovation, and operational capabilities [2]