Financial – Miscellaneous Services

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Applied Digital Jumps 47% in a Month: Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
ZACKS· 2025-10-21 17:06
Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) shares have appreciated 46.8% in a month, outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector's decline of 2.9% and the Zacks Financial – Miscellaneous Services industry's fall of 8.1% [1] - Year to date (YTD), APLD shares have returned 369.9%, significantly outperforming close peers like Riot Platforms (115.5% return) and Equinix (-12.5% return) [2] Company Performance - APLD's strong performance is attributed to robust demand for data center infrastructure and a growing focus on energy efficiency [6] - The company expects hyperscaler spending to exceed $350 billion in 2025, which bodes well for its prospects [6] - APLD shares are currently trading above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bullish trend [7] Business Developments - APLD's Data Center Hosting business provides energized infrastructure services to crypto mining customers, with a total hosting capacity of approximately 286 megawatts (MWs) [12] - The HPC Hosting business is expected to drive long-term top-line growth, with the Polaris Forge 1 facility designed to scale up to 1 gigawatt (GW) [13] - APLD has signed three lease agreements with CoreWeave to deliver 400 MW of critical IT load at Polaris Forge 1, with anticipated lease revenues of roughly $11 billion [14] Financial Outlook - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APLD's fiscal 2026 loss is currently pegged at 36 cents per share, which has widened over the past 30 days [15] - The consensus mark for APLD's second-quarter fiscal 2026 loss is currently pegged at 11 cents per share, also widening over the past month [16] Valuation Concerns - APLD stock is currently considered overvalued, with a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 27.32X compared to the industry's 3.72X [17] - The stock's valuation is stretched, which raises concerns for potential investors [20]
Applied Digital Jumps 122% Year to Date: Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
ZACKS· 2025-09-11 15:31
Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) shares have appreciated 122.2% year to date (YTD), significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector's return of 12.1% and the Zacks Financial – Miscellaneous Services industry's return of 3.8% [1] - APLD's strong performance is attributed to robust demand for data center infrastructure and a growing focus on energy efficiency within the data center industry [2] - The global AI market is projected to reach $500 billion by 2027, necessitating high-capacity data centers to support AI applications [2] Company Performance - APLD operates data center hosting services with a total capacity of approximately 286 megawatts (MWs) [7] - The Polaris Forge 1 facility is designed to scale up to 1 gigawatt (GW) and is expected to drive long-term growth, with the first 100-MW facility operational by Q4 2025 [9] - APLD has secured lease agreements with CoreWeave for 400 MW, with anticipated lease revenues of approximately $11 billion [11] Industry Trends - Strong spending by hyperscalers is expected to exceed $350 billion by 2025, which is beneficial for APLD as they require high-capacity data centers [3] - The demand for AI infrastructure is increasing, with AI queries requiring significantly more electricity than traditional queries, presenting a growth opportunity for APLD [10] Financial Outlook - APLD reported fiscal 2025 revenues of $144.2 million, a 6% increase from fiscal 2024, primarily driven by Data Center Hosting [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APLD's fiscal 2026 loss has widened to 34 cents per share, indicating a challenging near-term outlook [13] - APLD's stock is currently considered overvalued, trading at a forward price/sales ratio of 14.46X compared to the industry average of 3.58X [15] Investment Considerations - The CoreWeave lease deal enhances revenue visibility, which is favorable for long-term investors, but rising loss estimates and high valuation present risks [18] - APLD currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting that investors may want to wait for a more favorable time to accumulate the stock [19]
Bear of the Day: CaliberCos (CWD)
ZACKS· 2025-09-11 12:01
Company Overview - CaliberCos (CWD) is a small-cap alternative asset manager focused on real estate development and private equity-style strategies, but has struggled to gain traction since its debut [2][3] - The company brands itself as the "Wealth Development Company" [2] Earnings and Financial Performance - CaliberCos currently holds a Zacks Rank 5 (Strong Sell) as earnings estimates have been declining [3] - Over the last sixty days, analysts have reduced their earnings forecasts, leading to a downward revision of the Zacks Consensus Estimates from a loss of $3.81 to a loss of $9.17 for the current year [4] - Despite the bearish sentiment, analysts still forecast a move to profitability next year with a Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.50 [4] Market Position and Challenges - Revenue trends for CaliberCos have been inconsistent, and profitability remains elusive, making it less attractive to institutional investors who prefer steadier alternative managers like Blackstone or Brookfield [5] - The company faces challenges due to a tougher real estate environment characterized by higher rates, tighter liquidity, and investor caution in commercial development [3] - Caliber's relatively small size and limited operating history as a public company contribute to its volatility without much upside conviction [3] Industry Context - CaliberCos operates in the Financial – Miscellaneous Services industry, which ranks in the Top 22% of the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - Other companies in this industry, such as Lazard (LAZ) and Acadian Asset Management (AAMI), hold a more favorable Zacks Rank, indicating stronger performance [6]
Is Applied Digital Stock a Smart Buy Before Q4 Earnings Report?
ZACKS· 2025-07-28 18:05
Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) is expected to report its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on July 30, with revenues estimated at $42.99 million, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 3.09% [1] - The consensus estimate for loss is projected at 12 cents per share, which is a slight increase from previous estimates, compared to a loss of 52 cents in the same quarter last year [1] Financial Performance - APLD has missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters, with an average earnings surprise of negative 113.42% [2] - The Data Center Hosting segment is gaining momentum despite a 7% year-over-year revenue decline in the fiscal third quarter, operating at full capacity across two locations in North Dakota [6] Market Dynamics - Increased spending by hyperscalers like Microsoft and Meta Platforms is a significant driver for APLD, with Meta planning to invest between $64 billion and $72 billion and Microsoft expected to reach $80 billion in capital expenditures in 2025 [5] - APLD's HPC and data center growth plans are further supported by a 250MW lease agreement with CoreWeave [10] Strategic Initiatives - APLD is building out its Ellendale campus with 400MW of critical IT load, backed by financing agreements totaling $5.375 billion, with the first 100MW facility expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2025 [15] - The company plans to divest its Cloud Services business to streamline operations and potentially convert to a REIT, which could lower capital costs and enhance valuation [17] Stock Performance - APLD shares have increased by 40.7% year to date, outperforming the Zacks Finance sector's return of 11% [8] - The stock is currently trading above its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bullish trend [18]
AmEx Sweetens the Deal With a Dividend Hike: Buy, Hold or Sell?
ZACKS· 2025-03-04 18:21
American Express Company (AXP) , a global integrated payments company, recently announced a 17% increase in its quarterly dividend, raising it by 12 cents to 82 cents per share (or $3.28 annually). The higher dividend will be paid on May 9, 2025, to shareholders of record as of April 4.While this move reflects confidence in AmEx’s cash flow and growth prospects, its current dividend yield of 1.11% remains lower than the Financial – Miscellaneous Services industry average of 1.76%. This could be a drawback f ...