GDS(GDS) - 2025 Q3 - Earnings Call Transcript
2025-11-19 14:02

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q3 2025, the company's revenue increased by 10.2% year-on-year, and adjusted EBITDA grew by 11.4% year-on-year, continuing a healthy growth trend since recovery began last year [4] - Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2025 grew by 15.4% on a pro forma basis after deconsolidating certain data center project companies [10] - The net debt to last quarter annualized adjusted EBITDA multiple decreased from 6.8 times at the end of 2024 to 6.0 times at the end of Q3 2025, primarily due to cash proceeds from asset monetization [13][14] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The total new bookings for the first nine months of 2025 reached 75,000 sq m, or 240 megawatts, with expectations to achieve nearly 300 megawatts for the full year [5] - Approximately 65% of the bookings in 2025 are AI-related, indicating a strong focus on AI infrastructure [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The domestic tech industry in China is at a critical juncture, with major players making significant financial commitments to AI infrastructure, marking the end of a previous downturn [6] - The company has secured around 900 megawatts of powered land in tier one markets, suitable for AI demand, particularly for AI inferencing [7] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company plans to adopt a more aggressive approach to new business while maintaining financial discipline, focusing on acquiring more powered land in cost-effective locations [9][19] - The establishment of a data center REIT provides a competitive advantage in accessing capital and monetizing assets efficiently [8][11] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the upcoming AI demand based on the development of domestic technologies and the ramp-up of local chip companies [7] - The company anticipates higher bookings next year, leading to growth acceleration thereafter, despite a subdued booking environment in Q2 2025 [15] Other Important Information - The CREET platform started trading on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, with units priced significantly higher than the IPO price, indicating strong market interest [10][11] - The company expects organic CapEx for the full year to be around RMB 4.8 billion, with net CapEx around RMB 2.7 billion after asset monetization proceeds [12][13] Q&A Session Summary Question: What is needed for the China market to reach an inflection point? - Management indicated strong market demand and significant investments from customers as key indicators, along with improvements in domestic chip efficiency and production capacity [18] Question: What is the new overall investment return with the CREET scheme? - The unit economics of data center investment in China are solid, with cash-on-cash yields typically around 11%-12%, and levered IRR well into the 20s [20][21] Question: Will new bookings include new powered land acquisitions? - Management stated that new bookings next year will not fully rely on new land acquisitions but will focus on securing additional powered land [27] Question: How does the company view the impact of the tightened power quota in China? - Management believes that their established relationships with governments will mitigate challenges in acquiring new power quotas [28] Question: What is the outlook for customers acquiring GPUs and ramping installations? - Management noted a strong positive view for future demand, but could not provide specific details due to the independence of Day One [33][35] Question: How does the company view the pricing trend and competitive landscape? - Management expects a 3-4% decrease in MSR due to downward price resets and elevated movement levels, while emphasizing the importance of financial capability in the competitive landscape [57][60]