GDS Announces the Launch of an Initial Public Offering for its C-REIT on the Shanghai Stock Exchange

Core Viewpoint - GDS Holdings Limited has received approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission and Shanghai Stock Exchange to launch an initial public offering for its China REIT, which will involve the sale of stabilized data center assets [1][2]. Group 1: IPO Details - The transaction includes the sale of 100% equity interest in a project company that holds stabilized data center assets to a newly formed C-REIT [2]. - GDS will subscribe for 20% of the units issued by the C-REIT, while 80% will be subscribed by institutional and retail investors [2]. - 50% of the units have been pre-placed with cornerstone institutional investors, who have lock-up commitments ranging from one to three years [2]. Group 2: Valuation and Offering Process - The appraised valuation of the underlying data center assets for the C-REIT is approximately RMB 1,933 million [3]. - The final offering price for the C-REIT units will be determined after the institutional bookbuilding process, expected to conclude in about one week [3]. - The transaction is anticipated to close within the next few weeks, subject to certain closing conditions [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - GDS Holdings Limited is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, strategically located in primary economic hubs [4]. - The company offers co-location and a suite of value-added services, including managed hybrid cloud services and managed network services [4]. - GDS has a 24-year track record of service delivery, catering to a diverse customer base that includes hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, and financial institutions [4].