Yazılar

Jabil Raises 2025 Profit and Revenue Forecast Amid Data Center Demand

/in /tarafından

Jabil (JBL.N) has raised its 2025 profit and revenue forecast, driven by strong demand for data center infrastructure amid the surge in artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. The electronic component maker surpassed Wall Street expectations for its second-quarter earnings, leading to a 6.5% rise in premarket trading on Thursday.

The AI boom has increased demand for data centers, benefiting Jabil and fueling growth in its semiconductor fabrication and test equipment business.

For the second quarter ending February 28, Jabil reported:

  • Adjusted earnings per share (EPS): $1.94, exceeding analysts’ estimate of $1.83 (LSEG data).

  • Quarterly revenue: $6.73 billion, above the forecasted $6.41 billion.

Following these strong results, Jabil updated its full-year projections:

  • Adjusted profit forecast: $8.95 per share, up from the previous $8.75.

  • Revenue forecast: $27.9 billion, revised from $27.3 billion.

Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, Jabil continues to capitalize on AI-driven growth and expanding data center investments, reinforcing its market position in high-tech manufacturing.

Microsoft to Launch Three Data Centers in Malaysia by Q2 2025

/in /tarafından

Microsoft is set to launch its first cloud region in Malaysia by mid-2025, featuring three data centers in the greater Kuala Lumpur area, the company announced on Thursday. This initiative follows a $2.2 billion investment revealed last year, aimed at enhancing Malaysia’s cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The new Malaysia West cloud region is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2025, according to Laurence Si, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia. However, Microsoft has not disclosed the capacity of these data centers.

Regarding potential challenges due to U.S. export restrictions on semiconductor chips, Si stated that Microsoft was monitoring the situation but had not encountered any issues so far. “Everything is status quo for us,” he noted, emphasizing that Microsoft’s investment plans remain on track with support from various stakeholders.

Microsoft estimates that its commitments in Malaysia over the next four years will generate $10.9 billion in revenue and create over 37,000 jobs. The initiative is expected to accelerate innovation, enhance cybersecurity, and strengthen Malaysia’s position as a cloud and AI hub in Southeast Asia.

Chevron Advances Plans to Develop U.S. Data Centers with Power Generation

/in /tarafından

Chevron is moving forward with plans to develop data centers in the U.S., entering the permitting and engineering phases for multiple sites, according to a company executive. These centers will also feature the generation of electricity, primarily powered by natural gas, to meet the growing demand from data centers across the country. The energy consumption of these facilities, which are large warehouses for servers, is expected to triple in the next three years as the need for artificial intelligence and computing power intensifies.

The Big Tech industry has already begun securing power purchase agreements to meet their massive electricity demands, with some companies buying power directly from nuclear plants or signing deals with utilities to add power generation to the grid. This surge in data center demand is shaking up the U.S. power industry, with record peak demand and a rise in natural gas consumption.

Chevron, alongside ExxonMobil, announced plans last year to start power generation specifically for data centers, marking a departure from their usual focus on supplying energy for their own operations. Daniel Droog, Chevron’s Vice President of Power Solutions, stated at the CERAWeek conference in Houston that there is “high customer interest” in this new venture.

With data centers growing larger—some now requiring 50 times more power than traditional facilities—Chevron is targeting the development of power plants and data center sites with capacities around 1 gigawatt (GW), expected to be operational by 2027 or 2028. Droog emphasized that speed, reliability, and scale are central to their strategy.

The company has not revealed specific customers or the exact locations of these future data centers but indicated that southern, western, and midwestern regions are likely targets. These centers will be primarily powered by natural gas, with some sites potentially incorporating carbon capture or renewable energy sources.

Natural gas, which was previously avoided by Big Tech due to climate concerns, has now become a favored option due to its relatively low cost and availability in the U.S., the world’s largest gas producer. The company is also set to receive seven GE Vernova gas turbines by 2026, to aid in the power generation process.