Applied Digital's Stock Soars on Strong Q1 Results and Massive AI Data Center Expansion

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

6 Sources

Share

Applied Digital's shares jumped 28% after reporting better-than-expected Q1 results and announcing a significant expansion of its AI data center capacity. The company secured a new 150-megawatt lease with CoreWeave, bringing their total contracted IT load to 400 MW.

Applied Digital's Q1 Performance Exceeds Expectations

Applied Digital (APLD) reported strong first-quarter results for fiscal year 2026, surpassing analysts' expectations and driving its stock price up by approximately 28%

1

. The company's revenue grew 84% year-over-year to $64.2 million, significantly exceeding Wall Street's forecast of $54.6 million. Applied Digital also reported a smaller-than-expected non-GAAP loss of $0.03 per share, compared to analysts' predictions of a $0.16 loss

5

.

Expansion of AI Data Center Capacity

A key driver of Applied Digital's success is its rapid expansion in the AI data center space. The company announced a new 150-megawatt lease for its Polaris Forge 1 campus, bringing the total contracted IT load with CoreWeave to 400 MW

1

. This expansion is expected to generate approximately $11 billion in revenue over 15 years, highlighting the growing demand for AI infrastructure

3

.

Source: The Motley Fool

Source: The Motley Fool

Polaris Forge 2 and Future Growth

Applied Digital has already broken ground on its second North Dakota campus, Polaris Forge 2. This new facility is designed to initially have two 150-megawatt buildings, with the potential to scale up to 1 gigawatt of capacity

2

. The company expects the first 200 MW of capacity at Polaris Forge 2 to come online in 2026, reaching full capacity by 2027

1

.

Competitive Advantage in AI Infrastructure

Applied Digital's CEO, Wes Cummins, emphasized the company's unique position in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market. The company's ability to source large amounts of cheap, stable power gives it a competitive edge

4

. Applied Digital has also managed to shorten its construction timeline from 24 months to 12-14 months, allowing it to capture opportunities faster than traditional developers

3

.

Source: CRN

Source: CRN

Financial Outlook and Analyst Reactions

To fund its expansion, Applied Digital has secured significant financing, including a $5 billion preferred equity facility with Macquarie Asset Management

4

. The company's strong performance and growth prospects have led several analysts to raise their price targets. Needham, for instance, increased its target from $21 to $41, while maintaining a Buy rating

5

.

Market Impact and Future Prospects

Applied Digital's stock has seen remarkable growth, rising approximately 283% year-to-date and outperforming the S&P 500

1

. The company's success reflects the broader trend of increasing demand for AI infrastructure. With Nvidia estimating that the AI infrastructure market could grow to $3-4 trillion in the coming years, Applied Digital is well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity

4

.

Today's Top Stories

TheOutpost.ai

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

© 2025 Triveous Technologies Private Limited
Instagram logo
LinkedIn logo