Macquarie says $40 billion Aligned sale not a signal of AI or data centre peak

/in /tarafından

Macquarie Asset Management (MAM) chief Ben Way said the firm’s $40 billion sale of Aligned Data Centers does not signal an end to the global data centre boom or investor confidence in artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Aligned, one of the world’s largest data centre operators, was owned by Macquarie for seven years before being sold to a group including BlackRock, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The sale represents Macquarie’s largest private equity exit and values Aligned at 5 gigawatts of current and planned capacity.

“We don’t own businesses in perpetuity,” Way told Reuters. “It’s at a great spot to exit — and there’s clearly massive demand to enter. We’re at the beginning, not the end, of the AI and data centre journey.”

Despite industry chatter about a potential bubble, Way said AI-driven digitalization remains a powerful long-term growth driver. Global tech giants including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and CoreWeave are expected to spend $400 billion this year on AI infrastructure, according to Morgan Stanley.

Macquarie said it continues to expand its data centre portfolio, including investments in Bohao Internet Data Service, Hanam Data Centre, Netrality Data Centers, and VIRTUS, spanning the U.S., UK, China, and South Korea.

Earlier this month, MAM also announced plans to invest up to $5 billion in Applied Digital to fund two new high-performance computing centres.

“This isn’t a retreat,” Way emphasized. “The world still has a long way to digitalize — and we’re only at the precipice of AI endeavour.”

Macquarie Group shares jumped 5.13% to A$229 on Thursday, their highest since July, outpacing the 0.9% rise in Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX200 index.

Kraken buys Small Exchange in $100 million deal to expand U.S. derivatives operations

/in /tarafından

Crypto exchange Kraken has agreed to acquire Small Exchange from IG Group for $100 million, marking a major step toward building a fully U.S.-based derivatives platform that can serve both retail and institutional traders.

Small Exchange holds a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) license as a designated contract market, giving Kraken access to a regulated venue for offering futures and options — products that have become central to the digital asset industry’s push for mainstream legitimacy.

“Under CFTC oversight, Kraken can now integrate clearing, risk and matching into one environment that meets the same standards as the largest exchanges in the world,” said Arjun Sethi, Kraken’s co-CEO.

The acquisition reflects a growing trend of digital asset firms entering traditional capital markets, as cryptocurrencies gain wider acceptance and investors demand more sophisticated risk-management tools. Analysts say institutional adoption is accelerating as regulated crypto derivatives gain traction.

“Digital asset firms are no longer content being sideshow players,” said Michael Ashley Schulman of Running Point Capital Advisors. “They aim to wrest seats in the core capital markets ecosystem.”

Kraken described the acquisition as a strategic move to establish “institutional-grade markets” as crypto matures under a more crypto-friendly regulatory climate in the U.S. under President Donald Trump.

Earlier this year, Kraken also announced a $1.5 billion deal to acquire NinjaTrader, another retail futures trading platform, strengthening its position in the fast-growing derivatives segment.

Chip stocks surge after TSMC boosts outlook on soaring AI demand

/in /tarafından

Global semiconductor stocks rose on Thursday after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) issued a strong revenue forecast and reported record quarterly profits, underscoring surging demand for chips that power artificial intelligence systems.

TSMC — the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple — raised its full-year revenue guidance to mid-30% growth, up from around 30%, citing stronger-than-expected AI spending and data center expansion. Analysts say this marks a shift from a cyclical boom to a structural uptrend driven by AI infrastructure demand.

“This isn’t just a transient spike. TSMC’s blowout quarter tells a clear story — this is structural,” said Kate Leaman, chief market analyst at AvaTrade.

The upbeat forecast sent semiconductor stocks higher worldwide. Micron Technology gained about 4%, Broadcom climbed 2.4%, Marvell Technology added 1.3%, and Nvidia rose 1.2%. In Asia, Samsung Electronics advanced 2.8%.

The rally came amid a week of massive AI-related deals, including BlackRock’s $40 billion acquisition of data-center operator Aligned and a partnership between OpenAI and Broadcom to build 10 gigawatts of custom chips — enough to power more than eight million U.S. homes.

The developments reinforce Wall Street’s conviction that AI hardware remains the core driver of tech investment, nearly three years after ChatGPT’s debut. On Wednesday, Salesforce also projected revenue above $60 billion by 2030, driven by rapid AI integration across its cloud services.