Can Nebius' Data Center Expansion Drive Growth Amid Rising Competition?

Core Insights - Nebius Group N.V. (NBIS) is aggressively scaling to meet the rising demand for AI compute, positioning itself as a significant player in the global AI infrastructure market. The company has reported more than a doubling of revenues from the first quarter and has achieved EBITDA positivity in its core AI infrastructure business ahead of projections. The rapid expansion of data centers is crucial to Nebius' growth strategy [1][11]. Expansion Plans - By the end of this year, Nebius expects to secure 220 megawatts (MW) of connected power for GPU deployment, with major data centers in New Jersey and Finland. Two additional greenfield data center projects in the US are nearing completion, indicating the company's commitment to scaling aggressively to meet AI compute demand. Overall, Nebius aims to secure over 1 gigawatt (GW) of power by the end of 2026 [2][11]. - The company plans to launch its first major GPU cluster facility in the UK, located just outside London, expected to come online in early Q4. This facility marks a significant milestone in Nebius' global expansion, with the anticipation of being the first provider to deliver Nvidia's B300 GPUs to the UK market [3]. Strategic Partnerships - Nebius has closed a deal with Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) worth $17.4 billion, which involves providing dedicated GPU capacity from a new data center in Vineland, NJ, starting later this year through 2031 [4]. Market Position and Competitors - Nebius is building a global footprint with capacity in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. In June, the company launched NVIDIA GB200 capacity in Europe and deployed Blackwell Ultra GPUs in the UK. By Q1 2025, Nebius plans to add three new regions, including a strategic data center in Israel [5]. - The company expects a sharp increase in sales by year-end due to the market entry of Blackwell GPUs and significant ramp-up in data center capacity. Consequently, Nebius has updated its year-end annualized run rate (ARR) guidance from the previous range of $700 million–$1 billion to a new range of $900 million–$1.1 billion [6]. Financial Performance - Shares of Nebius have surged 351% year to date, significantly outperforming the Internet – Software and Services industry's growth of 43.1% [12]. - In terms of valuation, NBIS shares are trading at a price/book ratio of 7.8X, compared to the industry's ratio of 4.66X [13]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NBIS' 2025 earnings has seen an upward revision over the past 30 days [14].