Yahoo Finance·2026-01-05 19:50Core Insights - Applied Digital and Nebius are two distinct investment options in the growing AI market, with Applied Digital focusing on data center campuses and Nebius providing cloud-based AI infrastructure services [1] - Both stocks have more than tripled in value over the past 12 months, prompting a review of their business models, growth rates, and valuations [2] Applied Digital Overview - Applied Digital initially targeted Bitcoin miners but pivoted to cloud, AI, and HPC markets in 2022, positioning itself more as a real estate company than a tech firm [4] - In 2023, Applied Digital launched a subsidiary, Sai Computing, for cloud-based AI infrastructure services, which grew rapidly but was unprofitable and conflicted with its data center hosting clients [5] - The company plans to spin off Sai's cloud business and merge it with EKSO Bionics Holdings to form a new entity called ChronoScale [5] Financial Performance and Projections - The spin-off of Sai's cloud business may hinder Applied Digital's near-term growth, but its data center hosting business has secured $16 billion in lease payments over the next 15 years, primarily from CoreWeave [6] - Analysts project a 38% revenue increase to $297 million for fiscal 2026, with a narrowed net loss of $91 million, although the company appears expensive at 27 times this year's sales [7] - The long-term potential for generating over $1 billion in annual revenue from leases may justify its current valuation [7] Comparison with Nebius - Nebius provides customized AI infrastructure services across various industries, and it is noted that one of these companies is growing faster and trading at more attractive valuations compared to Applied Digital [8]