6 January 2026 | 1:09AM HKT Equity Research GDS Holdings (GDS): DayOne announced Series C equity financing at US$7.4bn pre-money valuation, in line with GSe; Buy What happened GDS Holdings (GDS/9698.HK) announced on Jan.5 that DayOne has entered into agreements for US$2.1bn Series C equity financing. As per the announcement, the Series C financing includes investors from the US, Europe and APAC, and was led by Coatue Management and supported by additional leading institutions, including the Indonesia Invest ...

Core 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]

Summary of Key Points from the Conference Call Industry Overview - The conference call focuses on the **China On-line Entertainment, Software, and Data Center** sectors, highlighting potential catalysts that could impact share prices in the near future [1][6]. Company-Specific Insights Bilibili Inc (BILI.O) - **Catalyst**: New game launch - Three Kingdoms: N Card - **Expected Launch**: Mid- to late March 2026 - **Monetization**: Anticipated slow monetization initially, focusing on Daily Active Users (DAU) with a base case of 10-20 million DAU [7][7]. GDS Holdings Ltd (GDS.O) - **Catalyst**: High-end GPU import regulation update - **Importance**: Very High, with a meaningful upside surprise expected - **Market Expectation**: Anticipation of Chinese government approval for NV H200 GPU imports, likely with conditions [7][7]. Kingdee International Software Group (0268.HK) - **Catalyst**: Full-year 2025 profit alert - **Expectation**: Profit forecast of Rmb280 million in 2025, marking a turnaround after five years of losses [7][7]. Kuaishou Technology (1024.HK) - **Catalyst**: Kling model iteration and full-year 2026 guidance - **Outlook**: More bearish than consensus on 2026 profit growth due to increased depreciation and normalization of income tax rates [8][8]. Meitu Inc (1357.HK) - **Catalyst**: Full-year 2026 guidance and strategic partnership updates with Alibaba - **Profit Guidance**: Estimated adjusted net profit of Rmb12.6 billion for 2026, expected to align with estimates [8][8]. Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME.N) - **Catalyst**: Regulatory approval of the Ximalaya acquisition - **Profit Contribution**: Expected Rmb1.7 billion annualized profit contribution post-cost synergy [8][8]. Trip.com Group Ltd (TCOM.O) - **Catalyst**: Full-year 2026 guidance - **Key Focus**: Operating margin guidance, with expectations of flat YoY margins due to aggressive overseas investments [8][8]. Tuya Inc. (TUYA.N) - **Catalyst**: 2026 Consumer Electronics Show - **Market Reaction**: Positive share price reaction anticipated if breakthroughs in AI applications are showcased [8][8]. Regulatory and Market Dynamics - The Chinese government is expected to loosen restrictions on KPOP stars hosting concerts in mainland China, which could be discussed during the upcoming Korean President's visit in early January 2026 [10][10]. Additional Insights - The conference highlighted the importance of monitoring the **Chinese hyperscalers' data center tenders** and their GPU sourcing strategies, which could significantly impact the data center market [7][7]. Conclusion - The conference call provided a comprehensive overview of upcoming catalysts in the China On-line Entertainment, Software, and Data Center sectors, with specific focus on company performance expectations and regulatory changes that could influence market dynamics in 2026.

Group 1 - Riot Platforms has appointed Jason Chung as CFO effective March 1, succeeding Colin Yee, who will transition to a senior advisor role [4][7] - Chung's base salary will increase from $500,000 to $550,000 upon his promotion, reflecting the company's commitment to its strategic focus [4][5] - The company is pivoting to expand beyond bitcoin mining, focusing on building AI data centers as part of its growth strategy [4][7] Group 2 - Riot's compensation committee has updated its long-term incentive plan for 2026 to align executive compensation with the company's focus on data center development [5] - The company has eliminated the "bitcoin yield" metric from its long-term incentive plan, indicating a shift in key performance indicators [6] - New performance metrics related to data center revenue and net operating income will be introduced once a data center tenant is secured [6]

Core Viewpoint - Iren's stock has seen significant growth, more than tripling in 2025, driven by its strategic focus on providing data centers for AI cloud services and securing clean power to address future energy demands [1] Group 1: Company Developments - Iren has recently signed a $9.7 billion contract with Microsoft, validating its data center pipeline and construction capabilities [3] - The company has secured 3 gigawatts of clean power for its data center operations, positioning itself to meet the anticipated energy shortages for AI data centers [5][9] Group 2: Market Position and Opportunities - Iren's current market capitalization stands at $13 billion, which is considered a fair valuation given its assets and the Microsoft contract, indicating potential for significant upside as more deals are announced [6] - The long lead times required to establish new data centers enhance Iren's value as a partner for hyperscalers like Microsoft, which has substantial performance obligations but limited immediate data center capacity [4]

Group 1 - Equinix, Inc. will hold its quarterly conference call on February 11, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. ET to discuss fourth-quarter results for the period ended December 31, 2025, and the full year of 2025 [1] - The conference call can be accessed live by dialing 1-517-308-9482 and referencing the passcode (EQIX) [2] - A replay of the call will be available one hour after the call through March 31, 2026, by dialing 1-866-360-7719 and entering the passcode (2026) [2] Group 2 - Equinix, Inc. is recognized as a digital infrastructure company that enhances connectivity globally [3] - The company's digital infrastructure and data center footprint support innovations that improve work, life, and the planet [3] - Equinix connects various economies, countries, organizations, and communities, delivering seamless digital experiences and advanced AI solutions [3]

Core Insights - Vantage Data Centers and Liberty Energy Inc. have formed a strategic partnership to develop utility-scale, high-efficiency power solutions for Vantage's data center portfolio in North America [1][2] - The partnership aims to deliver up to 1 gigawatt (1GW) of power agreements within five years, including a reservation of 400 megawatts (MW) for 2027, with potential for future expansion beyond 1GW [2][3] - This collaboration is designed to enhance Vantage's capabilities in developing data center campuses, particularly in areas with constrained grid capacity, thereby supporting the growing demand for digital infrastructure [3][4] Company Overview - Vantage Data Centers is a global leader in digital infrastructure, serving major AI and cloud providers, with operations across North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific [6] - Liberty Energy Inc. is a leading energy services company, specializing in completion services and technologies for oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy producers, and operates Liberty Power Innovations, which focuses on advanced distributed power solutions [8]

Group 1 - Applied Digital Corp. (NASDAQ: APLD) experienced a significant increase of 16.88% week-on-week as investors anticipated its second-quarter fiscal year 2026 earnings results [1] - The company is set to release its financial and operational highlights after market close on January 7, with a conference call planned to discuss the results [2] - Applied Digital has initiated a restructuring process, creating two separate entities for its cloud computing and data center businesses [3] Group 2 - The restructuring strategy includes a merger with EKSO Bionics Holdings Inc., which will be renamed ChronoScale, focusing on an accelerated compute platform for AI workloads [4] - Following the merger, Applied Digital will own 97% of the combined firm, while EKSO Bionics will seek potential buyers for its business and assets [4] - The proposed transaction aims to establish a focused platform to meet the growing demand for GPU-accelerated cloud infrastructure in a capacity-constrained market [5]

Core Viewpoint - The stock of Applied Digital has significantly benefited from the ongoing investment cycle in AI data centers, showcasing remarkable growth and potential for future revenue increases [1][2]. Group 1: Company Overview - Applied Digital specializes in designing, building, and operating high-performance data centers that cater to heavy GPU workloads [4]. - The company initially focused on blockchain applications but pivoted to AI workloads in 2023, leading to substantial revenue growth [5]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Since the beginning of 2023, Applied Digital's stock has surged by 1,200%, with analysts projecting revenues of $552 million in 2026, an 86% increase from the estimated $297 million in 2025 [2][8]. - The company is currently experiencing a boom in data center spending, with total data center capacity demand expected to increase by nearly 300% by 2030 [7]. Group 3: Capital Expenditures and Debt - Applied Digital is heavily investing in building data centers, leading to significant capital expenditures and an increase in long-term debt, which currently stands at approximately $700 million [11]. - The company has increased its share count by 196% over the past three years, raising concerns about share dilution and the sustainability of its financial model [11]. Group 4: Market Position and Valuation - The current market capitalization of Applied Digital is approximately $7.9 billion, with a price-to-sales ratio nearing 13 times the 2026 revenue estimates, indicating a potentially high valuation relative to its revenue growth [12][13]. - The company is currently incurring cash losses, which raises questions about its long-term profitability and the feasibility of its growth strategy [14].

Company Overview - CoreWeave operates data centers providing cloud-based access to artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, focusing on training AI models and inference learning [3] - The company has reported significant growth, with third-quarter revenue increasing by 133% year over year to just under $1.37 billion, and EBITDA more than doubling to $838 million [4] Financial Projections - Analysts project CoreWeave's revenue to grow from just over $5 billion in 2025 to nearly $29 billion by 2028, indicating a strong financial turnaround [5] - The growth is supported by the anticipated expansion of the global AI infrastructure market, expected to grow at an annualized rate of 26.6% through 2034, reaching a value of $500 billion [7] Market Dynamics - The AI megatrend is creating numerous investment opportunities, but it is also attracting significant competition [6] - Despite the positive outlook, there are questions about whether CoreWeave's current stock price can lead to life-changing gains for shareholders [8]