Gds Holdings Limited's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Gds Holdings Limited (GDS) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Gds Holdings Limited vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 1,591M vs 274M combined for tracked competitors (85.3% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+326.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs decelerating (-97.3%) for its tracked peer group.
- Profitability: Its 8.4% net margin compares with -273.0% for the peer group.
- Scale: Gds Holdings Limited ranks #4 of 92 companies by market capitalization in the Internet Services & Social Media industry, holding 2.2% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Gds Holdings Limited accounted for 99.9% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 100.0% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.86M compares with $0.21M for the peer group (4.1x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
GDS Sales vs. its Competitors, Q4 2025
With a net margin of 8.40 %, Gds Holdings Limited achieved higher profitability than its competitors (-273.04 %).
Gds Holdings Limited generated 99.89 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 100.00 % a year earlier.
Gds Holdings Limited vs. its Competitors, Q4 2025
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Gds Holdings Limited and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Gds Holdings Limited's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Internet Services & Social Media industry grew revenue 19.3% year over year, combined, vs 10.8% for Gds Holdings Limited. Gds Holdings Limited's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.57% to 0.53%, a loss of 0.04 percentage points.
Gds Holdings Limited's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (1) | - | - | ||
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 62.50 % (5 of 8) | 28.60 % (2 of 7) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
GDS Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
GDS Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
GDS Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
GDS Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Gds Holdings Limited's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Gds Holdings Limited's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Gds Holdings Limited
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | 53,300.09 | 1,590.67 |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 4,399.15 | 274.44 |
| SUBTOTAL | 57,699.25 | 1,865.10 |
Sources: Gds Holdings Limited's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Gds Holdings Limited versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Gds Holdings Limited's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| AtHub | Named by the company | 85% |
| Sinnet | Named by the company | 85% |
| China Telecom | Named by the company | 85% |
| Baosight | Named by the company | 85% |
| 21Vianet | Named by the company | 85% |
| China Unicom | Named by the company | 85% |
| China Mobile | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Gds Holdings Limited's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Gds Holdings Limited's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | 53,300 | 861,684 | 71,582 |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 4,399 | 208,696 | 71,846 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 4,399 | 208,696 | 71,846 |
Gds Holdings Limited's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 75 companies in Gds Holdings Limited's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Gds Holdings Limited ranks #4 of 75 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 2.25 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 6,255, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta Platforms Inc | 1,868,061 | 78.83 % |
| 2 | Applovin Corporation | 101,039 | 4.26 % |
| 3 | Nebius Group n v | 60,306 | 2.54 % |
| 4 | Gds Holdings Limited | 53,300 | 2.25 % |
| 5 | Rentokil Initial Plc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Thomson Reuters Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Zoom Communications Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Digitalocean Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Flutter Entertainment Plc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Gartner Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Gds Holdings Limited's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-30.
Gds Holdings Limited's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta Platforms Inc | 1,868,061 | -2.07 % |
| 2 | Applovin Corporation | 101,039 | -57.92 % |
| 3 | Nebius Group n v | 60,306 | 120.91 % |
| 4 | Gds Holdings Limited | 53,300 | -18.91 % |
| 5 | Rentokil Initial Plc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Thomson Reuters Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Zoom Communications Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 8 | Digitalocean Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Flutter Entertainment Plc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Gds Holdings Limited's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-30. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Gds Holdings Limited's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Internet Services & Social Media industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (112 companies). See the full Internet Services & Social Media industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 22.63 % | 53.20 % (avg) | -30.6 pp |
| Operating Margin | -0.49 % | industry median | -0.7 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 36.51 % | 8.63 % (avg) | +27.9 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 41.05 % | 6.24 % (avg) | +34.8 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Gds Holdings Limited's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Internet Services & Social Media industry average (112 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Internet Services & Social Media industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 62.9x | 40.0x | +22.9x |
| EV / EBITDA | 94.4x | 20.6x | +73.8x |
| P/B | 14.4x | 4.5x | +9.8x |
| Return on Equity | 3.60 % | industry aggregate | -25.27 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -0.06 % | 0.06 % (avg) | -0.12 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Gds Holdings Limited's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 6.76 % | 3.62 % | 10.76 % |
| Operating Margin | -24.70 % | 11.17 % | -0.49 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | -2.89 % | 1.32 % | -0.06 % |
| P/E | - | 9.3x | 62.9x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Gds Holdings Limited's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Gds Holdings Limited's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Gds Holdings Limited is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Gds Holdings Limited's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Gds Holdings Limited's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Gds Holdings Limited falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.03x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 8.1% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Meta Platforms Inc alone holds 79% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Gds Holdings Limited's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 6,255 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 41.05 % vs industry average 6.24 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Gds Holdings Limited's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Gds Holdings Limited's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Gds Holdings Limited's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Gds Holdings Limited falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Gds Holdings Limited's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+326.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 25.3 points below the industry aggregate.
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.03x).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Meta Platforms Inc , holding 78.83 % of industry market cap.
- Tracked peer group's revenue run-rate is broadly decelerating (-97.3% annualized).
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Gds Holdings Limited's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | 2.03 | 2.60 | 0.99 |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 0.74 | 1.59 | 0.94 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Gds Holdings Limited's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | Q4 2025 | +10.9 % | -72.2 % |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | Q1 2026 | -38.7 % | +90.3 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | -0.9 % | -56.9 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Gds Holdings Limited's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | Q4 2025 | +9.4 % | +48.2 % |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | Q1 2026 | - | - |
Gds Holdings Limited's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | 1.16% | 0.89% | 3.46% |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 3.75% | 4.20% | 7.94% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Gds Holdings Limited's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Gds Holdings Limited | 58.93 | 33.51 |
| Chaince Digital Holdings Inc | 85.79 | 16.03 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 254.61 | 30.94 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.