The US is entering a new era of industrial policy, with artificial intelligence at its core. A sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump has designated AI data centers and related infrastructure as critical to national interests, unlocking regulatory support and billions in private investment. Frank Holmes, CEO of U.S. Global Investors (NASDAQ:GROW), says the move could mark the start of a generational transformation comparable to the Space Race or the shale boom. If there’s one thing I’ve l ...

Core Insights - The U.S. stock market is anticipated to remain volatile due to stalled trade talks with China and uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, prompting a focus on low-beta stocks as a strategic investment approach [1][2] Group 1: Market Conditions - The U.S. stock market is expected to experience volatility as trade discussions with China have stalled, leading to investor uncertainty [1] - Investors are apprehensive ahead of the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, which may negatively affect borrowing costs and business growth [1] Group 2: Investment Strategy - Creating a curated portfolio of low-beta stocks is recommended as a prudent strategy to navigate market volatility [1][2] - Stocks such as Vipshop Holdings Limited (VIPS), GDS Holdings Limited (GDS), Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU), and Verona Pharma plc (VRNA) are highlighted as potential investment opportunities [2][9] Group 3: Stock Characteristics - Beta measures the volatility of a stock relative to the market, with a beta of less than 1 indicating lower volatility compared to the market [3][4] - A screening criterion for low-beta stocks includes a beta between 0 and 0.6, ensuring less volatility [5][6] Group 4: Company Highlights - **Vipshop Holdings**: Utilizes a strategy called "Made for Vipshop," offering exclusive products from over 200 brands, which are in high demand [7] - **GDS Holdings**: Recently secured a 152 MW AI data center order and plans to expand its 900 MW capacity in key markets, indicating strong demand [9][10] - **Futu Holdings**: A tech-driven company enhancing its platform with Futubull AI, a smart assistant for investment-related queries [11] - **Verona Pharma**: Its drug Ohtuvayre is a novel COPD treatment, combining bronchodilation and anti-inflammatory effects, marking a significant advancement in therapy [12]

Shares of Corning, a specialized glass maker for smartphones and AI data centers, popped Tuesday as the company’s second-quarter results exceeded expectations. https://t.co/1RWdUO7xP8 ...

Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) has secured a 250MW lease agreement with CoreWeave (CRWV) for its Ellendale campus, enhancing its position in the AI infrastructure market [1][9] - The new liquid-cooled facility at Ellendale is designed for AI workloads and is expected to commence operations in the fourth quarter of 2025 [2] - APLD's previous financial partnerships have unlocked up to $5.4 billion in financing, indicating strong confidence in its scalability [2][9] Infrastructure Development - The first 100MW facility at Ellendale is fully constructed, with an additional 150MW planned through 2026 [3] - APLD's early investments in power infrastructure and land banking provide a competitive edge in a market with high demand for AI data centers [3] Strategic Moves - APLD is considering a strategic sale of its Cloud Services business, which could streamline operations and facilitate a future conversion to a REIT [4] - This divestiture may lower the cost of capital and enhance the company's valuation [4] Market Position - APLD has a 1.4GW pipeline and is gaining credibility among top-tier AI clients, positioning itself as a key player in the AI compute sector [5] - The recent lease agreement with CoreWeave is expected to strengthen APLD's long-term cash flows and strategic relevance in the hyperscale AI market [5] Competitive Landscape - CoreWeave and Equinix (EQIX) are significant competitors, with both making substantial investments in hyperscale infrastructure [6] - Equinix has announced a joint venture to raise over $15 billion for expanding its xScale data centers, adding more than 1.5GW of capacity [7] Financial Performance - APLD's shares have increased by 43.3% year-to-date, outperforming the industry average gain of 6.6% [8] - The company trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 8.94, above the industry average and its three-year median of 1.66 [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APLD's fiscal 2026 earnings suggests a 67.2% year-over-year increase [12]

Investment Overview - Google will invest $25 billion in data centers over the next two years to support its artificial intelligence initiatives [1][4] - The investment announcement is expected to be made at an AI summit attended by President Trump [1][2] Energy Infrastructure - Google plans to spend an additional $3 billion to upgrade two hydroelectric plants in Pennsylvania, which have a combined capacity of over 670 megawatts [4] - This funding is part of a 20-year agreement with Brookfield Asset Management to purchase 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power across the U.S. [4][5] Regional Focus - The initial focus of Google's investment will be in the mid-Atlantic area and mid-continent markets [5] - The PJM Interconnection, which covers 13 states, is the largest electric grid in the U.S. and is facing challenges in meeting the rising demand from data centers [5][6] Industry Context - President Trump is expected to announce $70 billion in AI and energy investments at the summit [6] - Other tech leaders, such as Mark Zuckerberg, are also significantly increasing their investments in AI infrastructure [7]

Core Insights - Crusoe has secured a $750 million credit facility from Brookfield Asset Management to support the growth of its AI infrastructure, including AI data centers and cloud platforms [1][2] - The demand for AI infrastructure is rapidly increasing, and this funding will enable Crusoe to expand its operations and provide enhanced solutions to its customers [2] - This financing follows a series of significant funding rounds for Crusoe, including a $600 million Series D round and a $15 billion joint venture for a large AI data center [2] Company Overview - Crusoe is focused on aligning computing advancements with climate sustainability by providing scalable and environmentally friendly AI infrastructure solutions [3] - The company aims to empower the AI revolution through the development of AI-optimized data centers powered by clean energy [3] Partner Overview - Brookfield Asset Management is a leading global alternative asset manager with over $1 trillion in assets under management, focusing on real assets and essential service businesses [4] - Brookfield's investment philosophy aligns with supporting companies like Crusoe that are at the forefront of critical infrastructure for AI [2][4] Advisory Role - Eastdil Secured acted as the exclusive financial advisor for Crusoe in securing the $750 million credit facility [2][5]

Core Insights - Nebius Group's shares surged 61.7% in May, reflecting strong market interest and performance [1] - The company, formerly known as Yandex, rebranded and shifted focus to AI following the divestment of its Russian assets [1][2] - Nebius reported a remarkable revenue growth of 385% to $55.3 million in Q1 2025, with annualized recurring revenue (ARR) increasing by 684% to $249 million [4] Financial Performance - Nebius' adjusted net losses per share increased by only 19%, indicating improved cost management despite hypergrowth [4] - The company's total gross, depreciation, and operating costs grew by 96%, significantly lower than revenue growth [4] - The strong financial results coincided with a broader recovery in AI tech stocks, particularly after the U.S.-China tariff rollback [5] Strategic Developments - Nebius made a strategic majority investment in Toloka, an AI data solutions start-up, enhancing its capabilities in synthetic data generation [6] - The company expanded its data center presence from one to five locations across Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East within three quarters [3] - Nebius is positioned to benefit from Nvidia reference design systems, which may support continued growth [8] Market Position - Nebius' market capitalization reached $11.4 billion, reflecting a valuation of 45 times its current ARR, indicating high investor expectations for future growth [9] - Arete Research initiated coverage on Nebius with a price target of $84, suggesting confidence in the company's growth trajectory [8]

Core Insights - Applied Digital Corp (APLD) has experienced a significant stock increase of 29.2%, reaching $13.24, following a major announcement of a 15-year, $7 billion partnership with CoreWeave to develop AI data centers [1] - The stock has seen a remarkable rally, with a 48% increase on Monday and a total rise of 73% since the beginning of 2025 [2] Options Activity - APLD has recorded an extraordinary options trading volume, with 489,000 contracts exchanged, which is six times the typical daily volume, including 392,000 call options [2] - The most popular options are the weekly 6/6 13-strike call and the 15-strike call, indicating strong bullish sentiment among traders [2] Analyst Sentiment - Following the recent developments, several analysts have raised their price targets for APLD, although the 12-month consensus target price stands at $13.55, suggesting limited upside potential from current levels [3] - The short interest in APLD is notably high, representing 35.8% of the stock's available float, indicating potential volatility in the stock price [3]

Core Insights - Applied Digital Inc. has shifted its focus from cryptocurrency mining hosting to artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads, reflecting a strategic pivot in its business model [1][11] - The company is currently constructing its first AI data center in Ellendale, North Dakota, with plans for additional facilities, aiming to meet the growing demand for AI data center capacity [7][8] - Applied Digital's stock has experienced volatility, with a significant drop in value despite the hype surrounding AI data centers, raising questions about the company's execution and ability to secure major clients [2][11] Company Performance - For fiscal Q3 2025, Applied Digital reported an earnings per share (EPS) loss of $0.08, which was better than consensus estimates by $0.02, while revenues grew 22.1% year-over-year to $52.92 million, falling short of the expected $64.82 million [9][10] - The Data Center Hosting business generated $35.2 million, down 7% year-over-year, while the Cloud Services business saw a significant increase of 220% year-over-year to $17.8 million, although this segment is planned for sale [10] Industry Context - The demand for AI data centers is being driven by major hyperscalers like Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Oracle, all of which are investing heavily in expanding their AI data center capabilities [6][5] - AI data centers require specialized infrastructure to handle higher electrical capacities and advanced cooling solutions, differentiating them from traditional data centers [4][3] Future Outlook - Macquarie Asset Management plans to invest $5 billion to support Applied Digital's AI data center initiatives, which will help build up to 2 GW of capacity [4] - Analysts have set a 12-month stock price forecast for Applied Digital at $10.67, indicating a potential upside of 170.73% from the current price of $3.94 [9]