Yazılar

Applied Digital Strikes $5 Billion AI Infrastructure Deal with U.S. Hyperscaler

/in /tarafından

Applied Digital (APLD.O) announced on Wednesday that it has signed a $5 billion, 15-year lease agreement with a U.S.-based hyperscaler for 200 megawatts (MW) of capacity at its Polaris Forge 2 data center campus in North Dakota, solidifying its position as a major player in AI infrastructure development. The deal sent Applied Digital’s shares up 4% in premarket trading.

The agreement is expected to generate about $5 billion in contracted revenue over its term and reflects the surging demand for high-performance compute capacity driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence applications. Tech giants and AI developers are racing to secure energy-intensive infrastructure capable of training and deploying advanced language and vision models.

With this latest contract, Applied Digital’s total leased capacity across its Polaris Forge 1 and 2 campuses now reaches 600 MW, marking a significant milestone in its expansion strategy. The company also recently finalized a separate 150 MW lease with CoreWeave (CRWV.O) earlier this year, underscoring its growing role as a key infrastructure provider for the AI ecosystem.

Applied Digital’s stock has soared more than 325% in 2025, buoyed by investor enthusiasm for companies building AI-ready data centers capable of handling the computational load required by large language models and generative AI systems.

Industry analysts say the deal highlights how AI infrastructure has become the new frontier of big tech investment, with hyperscalers — massive cloud computing companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft — locking in long-term capacity agreements to meet explosive AI demand.

The company’s Polaris Forge complex in North Dakota is one of several U.S. projects focused on delivering high-density compute environments optimized for AI workloads. Applied Digital said the partnership will also support future energy efficiency improvements and renewable power integration, aligning with broader sustainability goals across the data center industry.

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.

Applied Digital Posts Smaller-than-Expected Loss on Increased Demand for Cloud Services

/in /tarafından

Applied Digital, a data center operator, reported a smaller-than-anticipated loss for the second quarter, driven by heightened demand for its high-performance data center infrastructure and cloud services. The company’s stock surged nearly 10% following the announcement of a significant investment deal with Australia’s Macquarie Group.

Macquarie has agreed to invest up to $5 billion in Applied Digital’s AI data centers, acquiring a 15% stake in the company’s high-performance computing business. This funding is expected to help Applied Digital reduce its debt from constructing data centers in North Dakota and recover more than $300 million of its equity investment in these facilities.

For the quarter ending November 30, Applied Digital reported an adjusted net loss of 6 cents per share, a smaller loss than the 15 cents per share analysts had predicted. The company’s revenue for the quarter was $63.9 million, a 51% year-over-year increase, aligning with analyst expectations.

Applied Digital’s success is closely linked to the growing AI industry, with the company’s data centers serving high-performance computing needs for technologies such as AI and crypto mining. The cloud services segment has also contributed significantly to the company’s growth. As the demand for data center capacity continues to rise, Applied Digital’s ability to secure substantial investments will be crucial in meeting these long-term capital requirements.

The company’s stock has more than tripled over the past two years, as investors look to capitalize on the booming AI sector, positioning companies like Applied Digital to benefit from the growing demand for advanced computing infrastructure.