The logo of Australian data center operator NextDC appears at its Artarmon site in Sydney on Sept. 15, 2026. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP via Getty Images)
Saeed Khan | AFP | Getty Images
Shares of Australian data center operator NextDC jumped more than 42% on Thursday after Goodman Group and U.S.-listed data center company Digital Realty moved to acquire stakes of as much as 9.9% in the business.
NextDC said in a regulatory filing Thursday that the two companies carried out an aftermarket bookbuild the previous day, offering A$9.50 per share.
The NextDC board described the move as “opportunistic.” The proposed investments came just two weeks after the company announced a delay to its power supply at the M3 Melbourne data center and lowered its fiscal 2027 guidance.
NextDC shares on Nov. 5.
NextDC said it did not know the outcome of the share purchase. Goodman and Digital Realty told investors that they currently had no plans to launch a takeover bid, while retaining the right to do so.
NextDC’s surge came as U.S. data center stocks weakened overnight. Shares of CoreWeave declined about 9%, while Iren fell approximately 11.2% on Wednesday.
The sell-off followed sweeping Democratic victories in the U.S. midterm elections. The results fueled expectations of tougher oversight and possible limits on data center construction, potentially slowing the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure.
