Goodman Group and Digital Realty have acquired a 9.9% stake in Australian data-center operator NEXTDC through an equally owned investment vehicle, confirming the outcome of a share-buying effort disclosed last week. NEXTDC’s facilities include M3 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, where it has reported a power-supply delay.
The companies said in a joint statement released to the Australian Securities Exchange on November 9 that the average purchase price was A$9.22 per NEXTDC share. The stake is held through a 50:50 special-purpose vehicle.
Neither company currently intends to submit a control proposal or make a takeover offer for NEXTDC, the statement said. Both reserved the right to change that position if circumstances change. They also said they had not formed or made any agreement on further engagement beyond the share acquisition.
The announcement leaves any broader relationship open. Goodman and Digital Realty said they looked forward to potential collaboration with NEXTDC’s board and management on ways to help address challenges facing the company. They did not announce an operating partnership or a transaction beyond the minority stake.
The confirmation follows NEXTDC’s November 5 response to an aftermarket bookbuild conducted the previous day. NEXTDC identified the buying vehicle as Ackland Investments No.1, owned equally by Goodman and Digital Realty, and said the bookbuild sought up to 9.9% of its ordinary shares at A$9.50 apiece. NEXTDC said at that point that it did not know the outcome. The A$9.22 figure announced Monday is the average acquisition price, rather than the earlier bookbuild price.
NEXTDC’s board described the approach last week as opportunistic. It said the buying effort came two weeks after its October 21 announcement of a power delay at its M3 Melbourne facility and revised fiscal 2027 guidance. The board said it had no takeover proposal before it and would consider any bona fide approach on its merits and in shareholders’ best interests.
Why it matters: The 9.9% stake gives two established data-center investors a minority holding in NEXTDC at an average A$9.22 a share, with any wider collaboration still only a possibility. NEXTDC said in its October 21 filing that power delays at M3 Melbourne would defer delivery and billing of contracted capacity, linking the property’s electricity supply directly to the timing of revenue.
The investment brings together two infrastructure groups already active in data centers. Digital Realty provides data-center, colocation and interconnection services. Goodman owns, develops and manages logistics properties and data centers across major global markets.
JBizNews Desk | Sydney
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