Shares of GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:GDS) witnessed a decline in premarket trading on Tuesday, coinciding with the announcement of a substantial equity transaction related to its minority investment in DayOne Data Centers Limited. The Chinese data center operator disclosed an agreement to repurchase ordinary shares in DayOne from the Singapore-based hyperscale data center platform for a total consideration of $385 million.
GDS's stake in DayOne represents a strategic interest in a fast-growing data center platform headquartered in Singapore. The transaction follows from DayOne's recent funding activities, which include a significant Series C convertible preferred share financing round. The price at which GDS is selling its DayOne shares aligns precisely with the price set in DayOne's latest round of convertible preferred share issuance.
This pricing consistency reflects DayOne's successful private market offering that raised funds exceeding $2 billion. By selling the shares back to DayOne at this established valuation, GDS effectively recovers approximately 95% of the capital it initially deployed into DayOne. This transaction equates to a return of about 6.5 times on the invested capital, marking a substantial gain on their minority position.
Post-transaction, the remaining shares that GDS retains in DayOne carry an implied valuation surpassing $2.2 billion. This valuation translates into an approximate value of $11.18 per American Depositary Share (ADS) of GDS, offering an enhanced basis for future company valuation given the retained exposure to DayOne's growth prospects.
Plans for the proceeds realized from the buyback indicate a strategic redeployment of capital within GDS's core business territories in China. The company intends to channel these funds toward advancing projects in its foundational markets, with an emphasis on developing and expanding its high-performance data center infrastructure dispersed throughout major technological hubs across the country.
GDS reiterated its fiscal 2025 expectations on November 19, projecting total revenues in the range of 11.29 billion yuan to 11.59 billion yuan. Adjusted EBITDA is forecasted between 5.19 billion yuan and 5.39 billion yuan, alongside capital expenditure commitments estimated at approximately 2.7 billion yuan. These financial targets reflect the company’s robust growth trajectory and investment in scalable infrastructure.
In market activity relating to this announcement, GDS Holdings stock experienced a premarket decline of 3.18%, trading at $42.60 per share according to available market data. This price movement likely incorporates investor responses to the transaction and the anticipated redeployment of capital within the firm's strategic operational framework.
GDS Holdings maintains a market reputation centered on delivering and operating cutting-edge data centers, primarily targeting China’s dynamic technology ecosystems. With technology demand accelerating and the hyperscale data center market expanding globally, GDS’s actions signal an intent to safeguard and reinforce its competitive positioning by optimizing its asset portfolio and focusing investment on core markets.