DALLAS, Oct. 07, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Digital Corporation (Nasdaq: APLD) ("Applied Digital" or the "Company"), a designer, builder, and operator of high-performance, sustainably engineered data centers and colocations services for artificial intelligence, cloud, networking and blockchain workloads, announced today that it has received the initial funding from its previously disclosed perpetual preferred equity financing facility of up to $5.0 billion with Macquarie Asset Management (“MAM”). The ...

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]

Group 1: Company Overview - Applied Digital (APLD) is experiencing increased demand for AI infrastructure, highlighted by a 15-year lease agreement with CoreWeave (CRWV) for 250 megawatts at Polaris Forge 1, with total anticipated lease revenues reaching approximately $11 billion [1][10] - Polaris Forge 1 is specifically designed for AI and high-performance computing (HPC), with a scalable capacity of up to 1 gigawatt, and the first facility is expected to be operational by Q4 2025 [2][10] - The facility aims to provide power-dense solutions, as AI queries require 15 times the electricity of traditional queries, presenting significant growth opportunities for APLD [3][10] Group 2: Market Dynamics - Strong spending by hyperscalers, projected to exceed $350 billion, is favorable for APLD, as these companies require high-capacity data centers to support AI and GPU-driven applications [4] - APLD currently operates around 286 megawatts of blockchain data center capacity, positioning it well within the growing market [4] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - APLD faces competition from AI infrastructure providers like Vertiv (VRT) and established data center operators such as Equinix (EQIX) [5] - Vertiv has seen organic order growth of approximately 11% in the past year and has strengthened its market position through collaborations and partnerships, including one with NVIDIA [6] - Equinix is expanding its global IBX data centers and anticipates a revenue increase of 5-6% in 2025, driven by rising demand for high-performing data centers [7] Group 4: Financial Performance - APLD's stock has surged 99.7% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector's return of 12.8% and the Zacks Financial-Miscellaneous Services industry's appreciation of 5.4% [8] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APLD's first-quarter fiscal 2026 loss is projected at 11 cents per share, which is a wider loss compared to the previous year [12] - APLD's stock is considered overvalued, with a forward 12-month price/sales ratio of 13.24X compared to the broader sector's 8.79X, resulting in a Value Score of F [15]

Core Insights - Applied Digital (APLD) shares are currently overvalued with a Value Score of F, trading at a forward 12-month Price/Sales (P/S) ratio of 13.5X compared to the industry average of 3.5X [1] - APLD's stock has increased by 109% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the industry return of 5.6% and the Zacks Finance sector's 12.5% appreciation [3] - The company has secured $11 billion in contracted revenue through a 15-year AI infrastructure deal with CoreWeave, indicating strong demand for its services [6][9] Financial Performance - Fiscal Q4 revenue rose 41% year-over-year to $38 million, driven by increased data center capacity and strong AI demand [6][11] - Fiscal 2025 revenues reached $144.2 million, a 6% increase from the previous year, with CoreWeave agreements underpinning sustained demand growth [11] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 of fiscal 2025 was $1 million, reflecting improved operational efficiency compared to a loss of $0.2 million in the prior year [16] Strategic Developments - The partnership with CoreWeave has validated APLD's strategic shift from cryptocurrency mining to AI-optimized data center infrastructure, providing unprecedented revenue visibility [10] - APLD is expanding its data center footprint with purpose-built facilities for AI workloads, including the Polaris Forge 1 campus designed to scale to 1 gigawatt [14][15] - The upcoming Polaris Forge 2 project, a $3 billion AI factory, is set to break ground in September 2025, further enhancing APLD's capabilities in the AI infrastructure sector [17] Market Position - APLD's stock is trading above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating a bullish trend [7] - The company is positioned to compete effectively in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure sector due to its strategic location in North Dakota, which offers low-cost energy and efficient cooling solutions [15] - APLD's premium valuation is supported by its transformational partnership with CoreWeave and the accelerating buildout of AI-focused infrastructure [19]

Core Growth Driver - Applied Digital's hyperscale hosting business is the main growth driver, fueled by increasing AI infrastructure demand and commitments from leading hyperscalers [1][2] - The company plans to start construction on Polaris Forge 2, a $3 billion, 280-megawatt AI Factory in September 2025, with initial operations expected in 2026 and full capacity by early 2027 [1][8] Revenue and Financial Performance - In Q4 of fiscal 2025, Applied Digital reported revenues of $38 million, a 41% increase year-over-year, driven by strong capacity additions [3] - Polaris Forge 1 has secured long-term leases with CoreWeave, covering 400 MW and approximately $11 billion in contracted revenues, setting a strong foundation for Polaris Forge 2 [2][8] Competitive Landscape - Applied Digital faces competition from established data center operators like Equinix and Digital Realty Trust, which have significant scale and diversified customer bases [4][5] - Equinix operates over 260 data centers globally, providing a strong interconnection platform, while Digital Realty Trust focuses on hyperscale developments across multiple regions [4][5] Share Price and Valuation - Applied Digital's shares have appreciated 106.4% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector and the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry [6] - The company is trading at a forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio of 13.4X, compared to the industry's 3.36X, indicating a premium valuation [10] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Applied Digital's first quarter fiscal 2026 loss is 6 cents per share, reflecting a decline from the previous year's loss of 3 cents per share [13] - The consensus for fiscal 2026 loss is pegged at 21 cents per share, suggesting a 73.75% year-over-year improvement [13]