SoftBank Group Corp. has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc. (DBRG) for $16 per share in cash, valuing the digital infrastructure investor at approximately $4 billion including debt.The acquisition enhances SoftBank’s position in the AI-driven data center boom, providing access to DigitalBridge’s $108 billion in assets under management and its portfolio of leading operators such as DataBank, Vantage Data Centers, and Switch Inc.The transaction, expected to close in the second half of 2026 pending reg ...

Core Viewpoint - Iron Mountain Incorporated (IRM) is currently viewed as a battleground stock, with bullish perspectives focusing on rapid growth and low AFFO multiples, while bearish views highlight concerns over high debt and AFFO calculations [1][2]. Bear Thesis - The bear thesis identifies three main reasons for the substantial drop in IRM's stock price over the past year: overvaluation, being caught in the AI selloff, and a short attack [4][7]. - The company has evolved from physical information storage to digital information management, which has led to its classification as a data center REIT, although this segment remains a small part of its business [5][6]. Financial Overview - As of September 30, 2025, IRM's total assets amounted to $20.63 billion, with current assets of $1.88 billion and total liabilities of $18.77 billion [9]. - The company has a significant operating lease liability of $2.28 billion, which is not classified as debt, as it represents long-term rental obligations rather than traditional debt [10][11]. AFFO and Earnings Adjustments - There are concerns regarding the inflation of reported AFFO, but IRM provides transparent reconciliations between GAAP and non-GAAP metrics [14][16]. - The company reported a normalized FFO of $276.89 million for Q3 2025, reflecting an 18.7% year-over-year increase [22]. - True AFFO is estimated to be approximately $320 million lower than reported AFFO, leading to an adjusted AFFO per share of $4.00 for 2025 [27][25]. Growth and Valuation - IRM has demonstrated strong growth across various business segments, with pricing power in its legacy records information management business contributing to its growth [28][31]. - Analysts project continued strong growth through 2028, with total revenue guidance for 2025 set between $6.79 billion and $6.94 billion, representing a year-over-year increase of approximately 12% [26][34]. - The current valuation shows IRM trading at 14X forward AFFO and 16X trailing AFFO, which may be undervalued given its growth rate [38][39]. Market Position - IRM's data center builds are expected to yield high returns, with cash on cash IRRs in the low double digits, supporting the company's growth strategy [31][36]. - The information management business is considered robust, with clients reliant on data retrieval services, providing IRM with continued pricing power [36].

TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF) secured a critical regulatory approval on Monday night when officials in Lansing, New York, voted to classify its Lake Cayuga site for permitted industrial use. The decision resolves a zoning dispute that previously stalled the company’s plans to convert a former coal plant into a data center. The Town of Lansing voted 3-2 to approve TeraWulf’s third appeal to categorize the facility as “general processing.” The vote allows the company to move forward without seeking additional r ...

Core Viewpoint - Data center operators, particularly Iren, are facing challenges due to declining cryptocurrency popularity and a pullback from AI-linked investments [1][2] Group 1: Company Performance - Iren's shares have decreased by nearly 11% week-to-date, reflecting investor sentiment [2] - The company has been focusing on data center operations but is not favored by investors currently [1] - Despite impressive growth in data center build-outs, Iren's stock is considered overvalued [5][7] Group 2: Analyst Insights - Goldman Sachs initiated coverage on several data center stocks, recommending Equinix and Digital Realty Trust as buys [3] - Iren received a neutral rating from analyst Michael Ng, with a price target of $39 per share [5] - Ng highlighted concerns regarding Iren's high valuations compared to its peers in the data center space [5][7]

Key Points Oracle's partner in a $300 billion deal, OpenAI, is projected not to be cash generative until 2030. The bond markets are growing stressed about the company's future financing needs. This appears to be an Oracle problem rather than an industry-wide issue. 10 stocks we like better than Oracle › As of the time of writing, Oracle (NYSE: ORCL) stock is down 19.2% over the last five trading days. The move illustrates growing skepticism over the company's investment in artificial intelligence ...

Good Thursday morning. Welcome to Opening Bid. I'm Yahoo Finance executive editor Brian Sazi.Let's get right after it. Here's what's on my mind right now. Inflation in President Trump's late night TV show.The consumer price index rose 2.7% in November according to new data out today. The headline result came in below estimates for a 3.1% increase. Consumers are still being pinched by high healthcare, rent, and food costs this holiday season, though.On the other end of the spectrum, we have President Trump d ...

This data center company is positioned for explosive growth.A few years ago, there were not enough chips for companies investing in artificial intelligence (AI). Today, chips are no longer a problem. The main bottleneck is securing access to electricity for new data centers.This is a significant opportunity for data center builders like Applied Digital (APLD 0.66%). The stock has climbed more than 300% in 2025.If you have extra cash you can afford to commit to a long-term investing strategy, this stock offe ...

Summary of Iron Mountain's Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Iron Mountain - **Industry**: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), specifically focusing on data centers and asset lifecycle management Key Points Matterhorn Strategy - The Matterhorn strategy has successfully driven double-digit growth for Iron Mountain, achieving over 12% growth for the full year and exiting the year at about a 14% growth rate [5][6] - The company expects to guide for another record year of double-digit growth in early 2026 [6] Restructuring and Financial Health - The Matterhorn restructuring program is concluding, with no additional restructuring anticipated [7] - The company expects significant incremental free cash flow, which will be used for growth and reducing debt needs [7] Data Center Business - Iron Mountain operates approximately 450 megawatts of data center capacity, 98% of which is leased [12] - The company is under construction on about 200 megawatts, with two-thirds pre-leased [13] - Anticipates energizing 250 megawatts in the next 18 months and another 200 megawatts in 19 to 24 months [13] - Guidance for leasing between 30 and 80 megawatts this year, with expectations of over 60 megawatts [14] - The company has strong relationships with major hyperscalers and does not currently have exposure to NeoCloud players [20] Asset Lifecycle Management (ALM) Business - The ALM business has grown from $38 million in revenue in 2021 to an expected $600 million this year, with organic growth around 30% year-on-year [22] - The total addressable market (TAM) for ALM is estimated at $30 billion, with a mix of 60% enterprise and 40% hyperscale revenue [22][24] - The enterprise side has margins of 20%-30%, while hyperscale operates on a revenue share model with lower margins [36] Digital Business - The digital business has evolved from scanning to structuring unstructured data, with expected revenue of approximately $550 million this year [48] - The company is engaged in significant projects with the U.S. government, including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Treasury [46][48] Capital Allocation and Financial Strategy - The company has reduced leverage to around 5.0 times and aims to maintain this level [50] - A dividend payout ratio target of low 60s% of AFFO is in place, with consistent dividend increases [50] - Capital investments are primarily focused on building pre-leased data centers, with expected revenue from the data center business to exceed $1 billion next year [52][53] Market Trends and Pricing - The company has been able to implement mid-single-digit price increases sustainably due to the value provided to clients [42][43] - The digital business is positioned to capitalize on the growing need for data structuring and analysis, particularly in government contracts [49] Additional Insights - The company has a robust pipeline for future growth, particularly in the data center and ALM sectors, with strong demand from hyperscalers and enterprise clients [12][22] - The market for asset lifecycle management is expected to continue growing, driven by trends in data center expansion and the need for secure data disposal [26][29]

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]

Summary of Conference Call Notes on China Data Centres Equities Industry Overview - The focus is on the China data centre industry, specifically companies GDS Holdings (GDS) and VNET Group (VNET) - The industry is expected to experience a slowdown in 2026, with potential recovery in 2027 driven by AI demand and clarity on chip supply issues [2][10] Key Points and Arguments 1. **2026 Slowdown and 2027 Recovery**: - A slowdown in new wholesale orders was noted in 3Q25, attributed to large clients delaying capital expenditures due to uncertainties regarding chip resolutions [2] - GDS's adjusted EBITDA growth is forecasted to slow from 10% in 2025 to 6% in 2026, while VNET's growth is expected to decelerate from 21% to 19% in the same period [2] 2. **Market Resilience**: - Despite disappointing order numbers in 3Q, GDS and VNET's share prices remained resilient, with GDS up 15% and VNET up 8% post-results announcement, indicating that the market has already priced in the anticipated slowdown [3] 3. **REITs as Valuation Benchmarks**: - Both GDS and VNET completed their C-REIT and Private REIT issuances, which are seen as providing valuation benchmarks and future financing channels [4] 4. **Preference for VNET**: - VNET is expected to outperform GDS in growth due to better wholesale capacity utilization and lower electricity costs in Inner Mongolia, which is advantageous for securing large AI orders [5] - VNET is trading at a lower valuation of 10x 2026e EV/adj. EBITDA compared to GDS at 13x [5] 5. **Target Price Adjustments**: - Target prices for both companies have been raised, with GDS's target price increasing from USD 44.10 to USD 46.90 and VNET's from USD 11.40 to USD 14.40 [6] Financial Highlights - **GDS Financials**: - Revenue projections for GDS are CNY 10,322 million for 2024, increasing to CNY 14,053 million by 2027 [11] - Adjusted EBITDA is expected to decline from CNY 6,889 million in 2025 to CNY 5,275 million in 2026 [11] - **VNET Financials**: - VNET's revenue is projected to grow from CNY 8,259 million in 2024 to CNY 14,424 million by 2027 [19] - EBITDA is expected to increase from CNY 2,268 million in 2024 to CNY 4,913 million in 2027 [19] Additional Important Insights - **Risks**: - Potential risks include failure to secure new large orders, chip shortages affecting data centre utilization, and a slowdown in AI data centre investments [34] - **Valuation Methodology**: - GDS is valued using a sum of the parts (SOTP) approach, with a target EV/EBITDA multiple of 13x for its mainland China business and 21x for its international business, DayOne [27][31] - **Market Context**: - The report highlights the competitive landscape, comparing GDS and VNET with peers like Equinix and Digital Realty, indicating a need for strategic positioning in the evolving market [35] This summary encapsulates the critical insights from the conference call regarding the China data centre industry, focusing on GDS and VNET, their financial outlook, market dynamics, and potential risks.