Core Insights - Century Internet (VNET.US), the first Chinese IDC company listed on the US stock market, reported a 21.7% year-on-year revenue growth for Q3 2025, reaching 2.58 billion RMB [2] - The company’s adjusted EBITDA increased by 27.5% year-on-year to 758 million RMB, with an adjusted EBITDA margin rising from 28% to 29.4% [2] - The company’s founder and chairman, Chen Sheng, highlighted strong demand for base IDC services, with three new orders totaling 63 MW in capacity [2][4] Financial Performance - Q3 total revenue reached 2.58 billion RMB, a 21.7% increase year-on-year [2] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 was 758 million RMB, reflecting a 27.5% year-on-year growth [2] - Adjusted cash gross profit grew by 22.1% year-on-year to 1.05 billion RMB, with an adjusted cash gross margin of 40.7% [2] Business Growth and Orders - The company secured three base IDC orders in Q3, totaling 63 MW, including a 20 MW order from a joint venture and a 40 MW order from an internet company [4] - In Q4, the company won an additional 32 MW base order from another internet client, indicating continued strong demand [3][4] - The operational capacity for base IDC reached 783 MW as of September 30, 2025, with a quarterly increase of 109 MW [4] Market Outlook - Century Internet raised its full-year revenue guidance to between 9.55 billion and 9.867 billion RMB, representing a year-on-year growth of 16% to 19% [3] - The adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year is set between 2.91 billion and 2.9445 billion RMB, indicating a growth of 24% to 26% [3] - The company aims to leverage its unique advantages in the AI-driven market and continue its dual-engine strategy to enhance growth potential [3] Industry Developments - The rapid development and application of artificial intelligence are creating new growth opportunities for the Chinese IDC industry [4] - Century Internet signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region government to establish an AI innovation cooperation center [5] - The company successfully issued the first green real estate ABS in the national data center industry, amounting to 860 million RMB, marking a breakthrough in green finance [5]

Core Viewpoint - Century Internet (VNET.US) reported strong financial performance for Q3 2025, with significant year-on-year growth in revenue and adjusted EBITDA, reflecting the effectiveness of its strategic initiatives in the rapidly growing AI-driven market [1][4]. Financial Performance - Total revenue for Q3 2025 reached 2.58 billion RMB, representing a year-on-year increase of 21.7% [1][4]. - Adjusted EBITDA grew by 27.5% year-on-year to 758 million RMB, with an adjusted EBITDA margin increasing from 28% to 29.4% [1][4]. - Adjusted cash gross profit rose by 22.1% year-on-year to 1.05 billion RMB, with an adjusted cash gross margin slightly increasing from 40.6% to 40.7% [1][4]. Business Growth - The base IDC business saw a remarkable year-on-year revenue increase of 82.7%, contributing 956 million RMB to total revenue [2][4]. - The operational capacity of the base IDC business reached 783 MW, with a quarterly increase of 109 MW, while the on-shelf capacity grew by 70 MW to 582 MW, achieving a 74.3% on-shelf rate [3][4]. Strategic Initiatives - The company is implementing a "dual-engine" strategy to expand its customer base and enhance its multi-layered business layout, which is expected to drive long-term growth [5][6]. - Century Internet secured three new base IDC orders totaling 63 MW in Q3, including significant contracts from an internet company and a smart driving company [5][6]. Market Position and Future Outlook - The company is well-positioned to capitalize on the AI-driven market demand, with plans to deepen its dual-engine strategy and Hyperscale 2.0 framework [2][3]. - Following a revision in guidance earlier in the year, the company has further raised its 2025 revenue and adjusted EBITDA forecasts, expecting total revenue between 9.55 billion and 9.867 billion RMB, and adjusted EBITDA between 2.91 billion and 2.945 billion RMB [4].

Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Outperform" rating for the company [5][10]. Core Insights - The company has exceeded expectations in revenue and adjusted EBITDA, with a significant growth forecast for the coming years [5][10]. - The future planning under the Hyperscale 2.0 framework aims to significantly increase data center capacity, positioning the company for competitive advantage in the market [5][10]. - The company has raised its full-year guidance, reflecting strong demand and rapid scaling of operations [5][10]. Financial Summary - Total revenue projections for 2025-2027 are 92.91 billion, 108.30 billion, and 126.69 billion RMB, with year-on-year growth rates of 12.50%, 16.56%, and 16.98% respectively [5][10]. - Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be 28.06 billion, 34.21 billion, and 40.03 billion RMB for the same period, with growth rates of 14.35%, 21.93%, and 17.01% [5][10]. - The company reported a Q2 2025 revenue of 2.43 billion RMB, a 22.1% increase year-on-year, and base IDC revenue of 854 million RMB, up 112.5% year-on-year [5][10]. Operational Capacity - The operational capacity for base IDC is 674 MW, reflecting a 17.5% quarter-on-quarter increase, with a rack capacity of 511 MW, also up 17.0% quarter-on-quarter [5][10]. - The base IDC rack rate stands at 75.9%, while the urban IDC rack rate is at 63.9% [5][10]. Future Planning - The company plans to manage a total data center capacity of 10 GW by 2036, starting from regions like Inner Mongolia, Hebei, and Beijing [5][10]. - AI application traffic is identified as a core driver for the scale of AIDC construction, ensuring the company's competitive edge [5][10].