HPC data center hosting

Search documents
Applied Digital (APLD) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-09 22:02
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues for the first fiscal quarter of 2026 were $64.2 million, up 84% from $34.8 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2025, primarily due to $26.3 million from tenant fit-out services [18][19] - Adjusted net loss was $7.6 million or $0.03 per share, while adjusted EBITDA was $0.5 million compared to $6.3 million the prior year [20][21] - The company ended the first fiscal quarter with $114.1 million in cash and $687.3 million in debt, excluding $362.5 million in proceeds from financing that occurred after the quarter end [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The HPC data center hosting segment expanded its long-term lease agreements with CoreWeave, increasing total contract value to approximately $11 billion [5][6] - The blockchain hosting business continues to operate 286 MW of fully contracted capacity across two North Dakota locations, with strong Bitcoin prices positively impacting customers [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Publicly traded hyperscalers are projected to invest over $350 billion in AI data centers this year, highlighting unprecedented investment in AI infrastructure [8] - The Department of Energy estimates a power shortfall for data centers in the range of 40 GW-50 GW, with some experts suggesting it could exceed 90 GW [23] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on delivering purpose-built infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing sectors, with plans to scale beyond 1 GW starting in 2028 to 2030 [6][12] - The company aims to reach a goal of $1 billion in net operating income (NOI) run rate within five years, supported by long-term contracts with hyperscale tenants [22] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management believes that the limiting factor in AI infrastructure deployment is the lack of suitable data centers, positioning the company to meet this challenge [9] - The company is actively evaluating new sites across additional states and regions to meet accelerating demand [23] Other Important Information - The company has secured an initial $112.5 million draw from a $5 billion preferred equity facility with Macquarie Asset Management to advance construction of Polaris Forge 1 [15][16] - The company has built and funded more than $1.6 billion in property and equipment, transitioning from a small Bitcoin hosting center to executing transactions with leading hyperscalers [16] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the largest remaining factors for project financing? - Management indicated that project financing will entail both buildings coming online over the next year, with a focus on finalizing credit agreement documents [30] Question: What is the current status of power infrastructure at Polaris Forge 2? - Management confirmed that 280 MW of initial utility power is in place, with infrastructure being built to meet the timeline for coming online in 2026 and fully online in 2027 [32] Question: What is the timeline for new hyperscaler negotiations? - Management stated that negotiations are ongoing, with expectations for contracts to be in place in the near term as they continue to engage with new and existing customers [37] Question: What does the Macquarie Asset Management financing do for future growth? - The financing allows the company to scale larger, minimizing dilution at the public company level while unlocking significant capital for future projects [46] Question: How does the company define its active pipeline? - The active pipeline includes projects that are expected to move into construction within the next six to twelve months, with ongoing work on permitting and power [52] Question: What are the supply chain challenges faced by the company? - Management noted that while lead times have stretched in the industry, they secured necessary equipment two years ago, mitigating pricing inflation and supply chain issues [70]
Applied Digital (APLD) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-09 22:02
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues for the first fiscal quarter of 2026 were $64.2 million, up 84% from $34.8 million in the fiscal first quarter of 2025, primarily due to $26.3 million from tenant fit-out services [18][19] - Adjusted net loss was $7.6 million or $0.03 per share, while adjusted EBITDA was $0.5 million compared to $6.3 million the prior year [20][21] - The company ended the first fiscal quarter with $114.1 million in cash and $687.3 million in debt, excluding $362.5 million in proceeds from financing that occurred after the quarter end [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The HPC data center hosting segment expanded its long-term lease agreements with CoreWeave, increasing total contract value to approximately $11 billion [5][6] - The blockchain hosting business continues to operate 286 megawatts of fully contracted capacity across two North Dakota locations, with strong Bitcoin prices positively impacting customers [14] - The cloud services business is under strategic review and classified as held for sale, with no further updates until a definitive plan is available [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Publicly traded hyperscalers are projected to invest over $350 billion in AI data centers this year, highlighting unprecedented investment levels in AI infrastructure [8] - The Department of Energy estimates a power shortfall for data centers in the range of 40 to 50 gigawatts, with some experts suggesting it could exceed 90 gigawatts [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to strengthen its market position by establishing long-term contracts with hyperscale tenants, targeting a net operating income run rate of $1 billion within five years [22] - The company is focused on scaling development and construction, with 4 gigawatts in the active development pipeline and plans to shorten construction timelines to 12 to 14 months [13][22] - The company is committed to minimizing environmental impact through innovative design and infrastructure upgrades [25] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management believes that the limiting factor in AI infrastructure deployment is the lack of suitable data centers, positioning the company to meet this challenge [9] - The company expects to see significant increases in net operating income anchored by long-term contracts with hyperscale tenants [22] - Management anticipates potential delays in construction timelines for some competitors, which may benefit proven vendors and developers [83] Other Important Information - The company has secured an initial $112.5 million draw from a $5 billion preferred equity facility with Macquarie Asset Management to advance construction of Polaris Forge 1 [15][16] - The company is in advanced discussions with an investment-grade hyperscaler regarding a lease for Polaris Forge 2 [7][11] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the largest remaining factors for project financing? - Management indicated that project financing will involve both buildings and is one of the largest tenant-backed financings occurring in the market [30] Question: What is the current status of power infrastructure at Polaris Forge 2? - The initial utility power for Polaris Forge 2 is 280 megawatts, with infrastructure being built to meet the timeline for coming online in 2026 [32] Question: What is the timeline for new hyperscaler negotiations? - Management stated that negotiations are ongoing and will be a constant process, with expectations for contracts in the near term [37] Question: What are the expected terms for project financing? - Management expects the loan-to-cost ratio to be around 70% with pricing between 400 to 450 basis points over SOFR [47] Question: What is the status of supply chain for long lead equipment? - Management noted that lead times have stretched in the industry, but they secured manufacturing capacity two years ago to mitigate potential issues [72] Question: Is there expected power availability in South Dakota? - Power will be available in South Dakota in 2026, with the main gating item being a sales tax exemption for IT equipment [77]
Applied Digital (APLD) - 2026 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-10-09 22:00
Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues for Q1 fiscal 2026 were $64.2 million, an increase of 84% from $34.8 million in Q1 fiscal 2025, primarily due to $26.3 million from tenant fit-out services [18][19] - Adjusted net loss was $7.6 million or $0.03 per share, while adjusted EBITDA was $0.5 million compared to $6.3 million the prior year [20] - The company ended the quarter with $114.1 million in cash and $687.3 million in debt, excluding $362.5 million in proceeds from financing that occurred after the quarter [20][21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The HPC data center hosting segment expanded its lease agreements with CoreWeave, increasing contracted revenue from approximately $7 billion to $11 billion over 15 years [4][5] - The blockchain hosting business operates 286 megawatts of fully contracted capacity across two North Dakota locations, with strong Bitcoin prices positively impacting customer sentiment [13][14] - The cloud services business is under strategic review and classified as held for sale, with no further updates provided until a definitive plan is established [14] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Publicly traded hyperscalers are projected to invest over $350 billion in AI data centers in 2025, highlighting unprecedented investment levels in AI infrastructure [8] - The industry recognizes that the limiting factor in AI infrastructure deployment is the availability of suitable data centers, referred to as AI factories [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to scale its operations significantly, with a goal of reaching $1 billion in net operating income (NOI) run rate within five years [22] - The company is focused on securing capital at the lowest possible cost and building repeatable financing structures to support data center development across the U.S. [16] - The company is actively evaluating new sites across additional states and regions to meet accelerating demand for data center infrastructure [23] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management highlighted the importance of speed, reliability, and readiness in meeting the surge in demand for AI infrastructure [8] - The company believes it is uniquely positioned to meet the challenges of the market, having secured early construction crews and built strong relationships with local communities [10] - Management anticipates a potential shakeout in the market as new entrants may struggle to meet construction timelines, favoring proven vendors and developers [64] Other Important Information - The company has secured an initial $112.5 million draw from a $5 billion preferred equity facility with Macquarie Asset Management to advance construction of Polaris Forge 1 [15] - The initial development cost for Polaris Forge 2 is projected to be approximately $3 billion, with potential for future expansion [7] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the largest remaining factors for project financing? - Management indicated that project financing will encompass both buildings at Polaris Forge, aiming for a facility that is competitive with market offerings [31] Question: What is the current status of power infrastructure at Polaris Forge 2? - Management confirmed that 280 megawatts of initial utility power is in place, with infrastructure being built to meet timelines for 2026 and 2027 [32] Question: Can you discuss the Macquarie Asset Management financing? - The financing allows the company to scale significantly, unlocking $20 to $25 billion of total capital for future projects while minimizing dilution for shareholders [40] Question: How does the company define its active pipeline? - The active pipeline includes projects that are expected to move into construction within the next six to twelve months, with ongoing work on permitting and power agreements [45] Question: What are the expectations for power availability in South Dakota? - Power is expected to be available in South Dakota in 2026, with the main gating item being a sales tax exemption for IT equipment [60]
APLD Stock Significantly Beats Industry So Far in June: Is It a Buy?
ZACKSยท 2025-06-30 13:25
Core Insights - Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) shares have increased by 52% in June, outperforming the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry's 9.3% rise, driven by growing demand for AI services and infrastructure progress [1][8] - APLD has entered into two 15-year lease agreements with CoreWeave, expected to generate $7 billion in total revenues, enhancing its AI and HPC infrastructure presence [7][8] Industry Trends - Major tech companies like Microsoft and Meta are signaling increased demand for hyperscale, colocation, and AI workloads, with Meta planning to invest $62.5 billion and Microsoft projecting $80 billion in capital expenditures by 2025 [2] - Other tech giants, including Amazon, Alphabet, and Oracle, are also expanding their AI data center capacities to support cloud services [2] Financial Performance - APLD reported a loss of $0.16 per share for Q3 FY2025, compared to earnings of $0.52 per share a year ago, despite robust sales growth [3] - The company is expected to see a small sales uptick in Q4, with earnings projected to improve by nearly 81% year over year [3] Growth Drivers - APLD has deployed nearly $1 billion in assets over the past year for data center construction, currently operating 286 megawatts of contracted hosting capacity, primarily for Bitcoin miners [9] - The company is building three new facilities expected to add 700 megawatts of capacity by 2027, significantly scaling its footprint for HPC and AI workloads [9] Capital and Funding - APLD secured a $150 million equity facility to raise capital for HPC infrastructure expansion, addressing significant cash burn from elevated capital expenditures [10] - The company ended Q3 with $100 million in cash, down from $308 million in the previous quarter, but the new facility is expected to provide necessary liquidity for growth [10] Sales and Earnings Estimates - Zacks Consensus Estimates project sales of $44.78 million for the current quarter and $46.83 million for the next quarter, with year-over-year growth estimates of 34.25% for the current year [11] - EPS estimates show a year-over-year growth of 80.77% for the current quarter, with expectations of improved profitability in the coming periods [12] Challenges - APLD faces rising costs due to increased depreciation of newly built facilities, which may pressure near-term profitability [13] - Seasonal fluctuations in power costs have impacted margins, and a significant drop in Cloud Services revenues was noted during the transition to a multi-tenant model [13][14] Valuation - APLD stock is currently trading at a premium, with a forward price-to-sales ratio of 9.24X compared to the industry average of 3.86X, indicating a lofty valuation [16] Conclusion - Despite near-term challenges, APLD is strategically positioned for long-term growth in the AI and HPC infrastructure market, with strong partnerships and expansion plans [19] - The outlook remains promising for APLD as it aims to convert investments into sustainable revenue streams [19]