Industry Outlook - Concerns are rising that AI is skewing expectations for future electricity consumption in the US [1] - One of the world's leading turbine manufacturers is contending that the US demand forecast encompasses more than just data centers [1]

Core Viewpoint - Senator Bernie Sanders criticizes Big Tech's energy consumption, particularly highlighting Meta Platforms Inc.'s planned data center in Louisiana, which could exceed the electricity usage of entire U.S. cities, placing the financial burden on taxpayers [1][2]. Group 1: Energy Consumption Concerns - Meta's Louisiana data center is projected to use three times more electricity than all of New Orleans, raising alarms about the impact on the power grid [2][3]. - Sanders emphasizes that the public will ultimately bear the costs associated with the increased energy demand from these facilities [2][3]. Group 2: Broader Implications of AI Data Centers - The rapid growth of AI data centers is expected to significantly strain the nation's power grid, with energy experts warning of a surge in demand [6]. - A McKinsey & Co. report indicates that data centers currently account for 5% of total U.S. electricity consumption, with this share potentially more than doubling in the next five years [6]. Group 3: Local Community Reactions - Some local communities are pushing back against large-scale data center projects due to concerns over rising energy bills, water usage, and property values [5]. - Sanders previously commended residents in St. Charles, Mo., for opposing a proposed 440-acre data center, which led to its abandonment [5]. Group 4: Future Projections - McKinsey projects nearly $7 trillion in global data center infrastructure spending by 2030, with the U.S. expected to account for over 40% of this investment [6]. - AI and high-performance computing are anticipated to drive about 40% of future power demand growth, influenced by major players like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google [7].

Group 1: AI and Technology Trends - The AI narrative is shifting from software and chatbots to industrial sector implementation, expected to drive high-performance computing demand beyond 2025 levels [1] - The tech sector is moving towards Agentic AI, requiring massive physical facilities like data centers or AI factories [1] - Technology giants are projected to spend nearly $500 billion on capital expenditures in 2026 to build the infrastructure for an AI-powered internet [5] Group 2: Investment Strategies and Market Outlook - The market's focus is shifting to Return on Investment (ROI) and tangible cash flows, with three emerging themes for 2026 that blend growth potential and defensive stability [2] - High valuations necessitate high performance, favoring investments in companies that build the physical economy and provide essential power [3] - The stock market has seen significant gains, but the economic landscape is changing as speculation-driven easy money is likely ending [4] Group 3: Infrastructure and Energy Demand - Data centers are expected to increase power demand by 14% to 17% annually through the end of the decade, straining the power grid [8] - The energy sector is experiencing a shift towards baseload power sources, such as nuclear and natural gas, to meet the demands of AI and data centers [9] - Utilities are transitioning from slow-growth income stocks to growth hybrids, with companies signing long-term power supply contracts at premium rates [10] Group 4: Healthcare Sector Opportunities - The healthcare sector is trading at a 20% discount relative to the broader market, presenting a potential mean-reversion rally opportunity [13] - The sector offers a barbell strategy with defensive stability from insurance providers and high-growth potential from pharmaceutical innovators [14] - 2026 is expected to see increased mergers and acquisitions in healthcare, driven by large companies seeking to replenish their pipelines [15] Group 5: Economic Environment and Investment Discipline - The Federal Reserve's neutral stance on interest rates supports manageable capital costs for companies with real cash flow [16] - The investment landscape in 2026 will reward infrastructure builders, essential power providers, and undervalued healthcare innovators [17] - A disciplined investment approach is necessary as the market transitions from speculative gains to tangible assets and real returns [17]

Core Viewpoint - Iren's recent $9.7 billion contract with Microsoft marks a significant shift towards AI data centers, but the company's heavy reliance on Bitcoin mining poses serious risks to its existing business model [3][5][10]. Company Overview - Iren has experienced explosive revenue growth of 750% over the past three years, resulting in a stock price increase of 3,360% [2]. - The company primarily operates data centers, selling computing capacity, and has shifted focus from Bitcoin mining to AI data centers [2][3]. Financial Highlights - The new contract with Microsoft is expected to expand Iren's hardware backbone to 140,000 GPUs, potentially increasing the annualized revenue run rate to $3.4 billion, compared to $685 million in total revenue over the past four quarters [3]. - Iren's market capitalization stands at $13 billion, with a current stock price of $44.46 [4]. Business Risks - Bitcoin mining accounted for 97% of Iren's revenue in the most recent quarter, making the company vulnerable to the volatility of cryptocurrency prices [7]. - Historical data shows that Bitcoin's price has declined by over 60% multiple times, and it has fallen nearly 30% from its all-time high since early October [8]. - A prolonged downturn in Bitcoin prices could significantly impact Iren's cash flow and hinder its AI expansion plans [10]. Competitive Landscape - Equinix, a leading data center REIT, is highlighted as a more stable investment alternative, benefiting from AI demand without the need for costly GPU investments [11][12]. - Equinix operates 273 data centers globally and plans to double its capacity by 2029, with annualized gross bookings increasing by 25% year over year [12].

Core Insights - Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, continues to identify strong investment opportunities in data centers despite a surge in investments in hardware related to artificial intelligence [1] Group 1: Investment Opportunities - The company remains optimistic about the potential of data centers as a key area for investment [1] - There is a notable increase in capital flowing into the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence, which may enhance the attractiveness of data centers [1] Group 2: Market Trends - The rush of investment into AI-related hardware indicates a growing demand for data center capabilities [1] - Blackstone's perspective suggests that the data center market is poised for growth, driven by technological advancements and increased data consumption [1]

Core Insights - The AI boom is initiating a significant construction surge, with financing needs becoming increasingly apparent [1][2] - Companies traditionally operating with minimal assets are transitioning to asset-heavy models, exemplified by Meta's substantial increase in debt [1][3] Group 1: Financing Trends - There is a massive and sustained increase in borrowing, transforming public spending into private credit lending opportunities [2] - Apollo Asset Management is focusing on sectors such as data centers, defense spending, and energy transition, which require extensive long-term financing [3] Group 2: Debt and Investment Quality - Despite the high demand for assets, there are concerns regarding the rising debt levels and whether companies are over-leveraging [4] - Companies involved in these projects generally maintain low net debt to EBITDA ratios, indicating a solid financial foundation as they transition to debt financing [5] Group 3: Investment Strategy - The complexity and scale of these investments necessitate high-quality underwriting, with Apollo leveraging a large investment team to assess asset classes effectively [6] - The AI revolution presents a multitrillion-dollar lending opportunity, but only the most capable private credit firms will be able to manage the associated risks [7]

Core Insights - Applied Digital is transitioning from a Bitcoin mining data center operator to a dedicated AI infrastructure provider [1][3] - The main challenge in AI infrastructure is not GPU supply but the availability of data centers that can handle high power density and advanced cooling needs [3] Company Developments - Applied Digital has been acquiring essential resources such as land, power, construction teams, supply chain contracts, and engineering talent to establish AI-focused data centers [3] - The company has secured a significant lease expansion with CoreWeave, increasing the contract value from $7 billion to $11 billion over 15 years, with expectations of nearly $500 million in annual net operating income from this lease [4] Market Position - Applied Digital is well-positioned to benefit from the projected $350 billion investment in AI data centers by publicly traded hyperscalers by 2025 [3] - The company plans to expand its data center capacity at Polaris Forge 1 beyond 1 gigawatt from 2028 to 2030 and is constructing a 300-megawatt data center at Polaris Forge 2, with plans to scale it to 1 gigawatt [6] Financial Metrics - The current market capitalization of Applied Digital is $9 billion, with a gross margin of 14.46% [5][6] - The company has already leased 200 megawatts of its under-construction capacity for $5 billion in contracted revenues over 15 years [6]

Group 1: Dorman Products, Inc. - Dorman Products reported quarterly earnings of $2.62 per share, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $2.50 per share [1] - The company’s quarterly sales were $543.736 million, which fell short of the analyst consensus estimate of $551.033 million [1] - Shares of Dorman Products fell 0.8% to settle at $123.77 [4] Group 2: CoreWeave, Inc. - CoreWeave has priced its $2.25 billion convertible note offering [2] - The company is performing well, but there are better investment opportunities in the data center sector [2] - CoreWeave shares gained 5.1% to close at $90.66 [4] Group 3: Alaska Air Group, Inc. - Alaska Air cut its fourth-quarter EPS outlook due to several transitory headwinds, including an IT outage, lost revenue from the government shutdown, larger fuel costs, and a greater book tax rate [3] - Alaska Air is considered a good trading vehicle only [2] - Shares of Alaska Air rose 0.2% to settle at $49.54 [4]

Group 1: Dorman Products, Inc. - Dorman Products reported quarterly earnings of $2.62 per share, exceeding the analyst consensus estimate of $2.50 per share [1] - The company’s quarterly sales were $543.736 million, which fell short of the analyst consensus estimate of $551.033 million [1] - Jim Cramer advised investors to avoid Dorman Products, stating that the automotive sector is performing poorly, similar to the housing market [1] Group 2: CoreWeave, Inc. - CoreWeave announced a $2.25 billion convertible note offering, indicating strong financial activity [2] - Jim Cramer mentioned that while CoreWeave is performing well, there are better investment opportunities in the data center sector [2] Group 3: Alaska Air Group, Inc. - Alaska Air cut its fourth-quarter EPS outlook due to several transitory headwinds, including an IT outage, lost revenue from the government shutdown, increased fuel costs, and a higher book tax rate [3] - Jim Cramer described Alaska Air as a good investment but only as a "trading vehicle" [2] - Alaska Air shares rose 0.2% to settle at $49.54 on Tuesday [4]

Fund Performance - Baron Emerging Markets Fund returned 10.89% in Q3 2025, outperforming the MSCI Emerging Markets Index at 10.64% and the MSCI Emerging Markets IMI Growth Index at 11.48% [1] - Year-to-date, the fund achieved a return of 31.79%, compared to 27.53% for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and 28.19% for the Proxy Benchmark [1] - The firm expressed satisfaction with the quarterly results despite the underperformance of Indian equities during the same period [1] GDS Holdings Limited - GDS Holdings Limited, a data center operator in China, had a one-month return of 12.39% and a 52-week gain of 72.84%, closing at $36.02 per share with a market capitalization of $6.898 billion on December 09, 2025 [2] - The company is viewed as benefiting from the growth of China's AI ecosystem, cloud computing, digital payments, and short-form video, which are expected to provide growth tailwinds for data center operators [3] - GDS has competitive advantages including access to large-scale power in Tier-1 cities, a strong track record in development, and leading market share in the third-party carrier-neutral data center space [3] Investment Insights - The company reinitiated investment in GDS Holdings, anticipating significant cash flow growth from approximately $200 million to $1 billion over the next two years based on definitive contracts [3] - The investment in GDS's mainland China business is valued at only 11 to 12 times EBITDA, indicating a steep discount compared to global peers and suggesting considerable upside potential [3] - GDS recently listed a subset of its assets into a public REIT vehicle, which is now valued at more than 20 times cash flow, further enhancing its investment appeal [3]