Why Is Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) Up 8.4% Since Last Earnings Report?

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Applied Digital Corporation (APLD). Shares have added about 8.4% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

But investors have to be wondering, will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Applied Digital Corporation due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

Applied Digital Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Revenues Rise Y/Y

Applied Digital reported a loss of 39 cents per share in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, a deterioration from a loss of 24 cents registered in the year-ago quarter. The figure was wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 18 cents by 116.67%.

Revenues surged 407% year over year to $258.7 million, driven by the ramp-up of HPC tenant fit-out services at Polaris Forge 1 and continued strength in the Data Center Hosting Business. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $240 million by 7.79%.

APLD's Segment Performance

The Data Center Hosting Business generated $37.3 million in revenues, materially consistent year over year with stable operating conditions, as both Jamestown (106 MW) and Ellendale (180 MW) operated at full capacity as of May 31. The segment generated $12.5 million in operating profit during the quarter, on a reported asset base of $113.8 million, and continues to be the company's highest return on asset business.

The HPC Hosting Business contributed $203 million in revenues during the quarter. This included $152.4 million from tenant fit-out services, $44.1 million related to base rent and $6.5 million related to tenant recoveries. The segment generated an operating profit of $26.2 million. The business now spans five contracted campuses totaling roughly 1.4 gigawatts of critical IT load, following three new leases signed with a single high-investment-grade hyperscaler since the prior quarter.

During the quarter, the company completed the separation of its Cloud Services Business, combining it with Ekso Bionics Holdings to form ChronoScale Holdings Corporation. Applied Digital retained approximately 96% ownership. Reflecting this, the company consolidated ChronoScale revenues of $18.4 million for the quarter. The segment is excluded from the company's non-GAAP results going forward as management evaluates the Data Center Hosting and HPC Hosting businesses as its core operations.

APLD's Operating Details

Services cost of revenues jumped 256% year over year to $193.1 million, primarily reflecting $145.6 million associated with tenant fit-out services for the HPC Hosting Business. Data center rental and other cost of revenues came in at $25.1 million, primarily comprising depreciation and amortization on the first HPC data center at Polaris Forge 1, along with reimbursable tenant recovery expenses.

Selling, general and administrative expenses surged 303% year over year to $165.3 million. The increase was driven by $116.8 million in stock-based compensation tied to accelerated vesting of employee stock awards and grant activity related to the ChronoScale separation, as well as $7.3 million in personnel expenses tied to headcount growth and $5.6 million in professional services expense.

Interest expense net rose 26% year over year to $10.6 million, as a $31.9 million increase in interest expense from new debt arrangements was partially offset by a $30.5 million increase in interest income from higher balances held in interest-bearing demand deposit accounts.

The company recognized a $53.3 million gain on the change in fair value of derivatives, comprising a $69.9 million increase in the value of its Babcock & Wilcox common stock warrant partially offset by a $16.7 million decrease in the fair value of derivative assets tied to preferred units. It also recorded a $4.8 million gain on the change in fair value of investments, reflecting the appreciation of its B&W common stock position. Neither gain was present in the year-ago quarter.

APLD's Balance Sheet and Cash Flows

As of May 31, Applied Digital held cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of approximately $4.2 billion compared with $2.1 billion as of Feb. 28. Total debt stood at approximately $5 billion compared with $2.7 billion at the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2026, reflecting the closing of $2.15 billion of senior secured notes tied to Polaris Forge 2, along with a new revolving credit facility.

Operating cash flow was positive $89.7 million for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2026, a marked improvement from cash used in operations of $115.4 million in the prior fiscal year, aided by a strong step-up in collections during the fourth quarter.

APLD Offers Positive Outlook

Applied Digital ended the fiscal year with roughly 1.4 gigawatts of contracted critical IT load across five AI Factory campuses, representing approximately $36 billion in total contracted lease revenue, or approximately $86 billion including renewal options. It is actively marketing another 1.7 gigawatts across multiple states, citing robust demand and rising lease rates.

Management is in advanced talks to expand capacity by 100 MW and 150 MW with two existing investment-grade customers, which would lift total capacity to 1.66 gigawatts and add over $6 billion in contracted revenue at current rates. The company is also working with Base Electron to develop roughly 1.2 gigawatts of natural gas fired generation in the Dakotas to support further expansion.

Applied Digital now expects to hit its $1 billion annual net operating income target roughly three years ahead of schedule, with quarterly capex guided at approximately $600 million as construction continues across its campuses.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.

The consensus estimate has shifted -27.5% due to these changes.

VGM Scores

Currently, Applied Digital Corporation has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with a C. However, the stock was allocated a score of F on the value side, putting it in the fifth quintile for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of D. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It's no surprise Applied Digital Corporation has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We expect a below average return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry Player

Applied Digital Corporation is part of the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry. Over the past month, Blackstone Inc. (BX), a stock from the same industry, has gained 7.1%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended June 2026 more than a month ago.

Blackstone Inc. reported revenues of $3.8 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +23.7%. EPS of $1.52 for the same period compares with $1.21 a year ago.

Blackstone Inc. is expected to post earnings of $1.36 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -10.5%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -4%.

Blackstone Inc. has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of D.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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