Equinix reported a 10% rise in first-quarter revenue to $2.44 billion and lifted its 2026 guidance, with the data center operator citing record bookings and accelerating demand from AI customers as the backbone of the result.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Margins Widen as Bookings Hit RecordThe Redwood City-based REIT, which runs colocation facilities widely used by exchanges, market makers and interdealer brokers, posted net income of $415 million for the quarter ended March 31, up 21% year over year. Operating income climbed 26% to $577 million, and adjusted EBITDA rose 17% to $1.245 billion, with margin reaching 51%, the company said.Annualized gross bookings hit $378 million, presales reached a record $140 million, and AFFO crossed the $1 billion mark for the first time, at $10.79 per share. The print landed during a busy week for first-quarter earnings across firms that rely on Equinix-style colocation, including New York market maker Virtu Financial, which nearly doubled its first-quarter net income to $346.6 million on a 34% jump in trading income.Q1 2026 Key Performance IndicatorsAI Workloads Now Drive Most Large DealsAbout 60% of Equinix's largest deals during the quarter were tied to AI, the company said, with eight of the ten largest AI model providers and four of the top five so-called neoclouds expanding their footprints with the operator. Equinix also rolled out Fabric Intelligence, which it said embeds AI directly into its network to optimize performance, and a Distributed AI Hub for connecting customers to GPU clouds, model companies and data platforms.CEO Adaire Fox-Martin pointed to "robust customer demand for our AI, cloud and networking solutions" as the basis for the raised 2026 outlook. The acceleration in AI traffic comes alongside a broader pickup in electronic trading volumes running through the same colocation footprint, with Tradeweb's Q1 net income climbing 39% to $233 million on record $3.3 trillion average daily volume.A Strong Quarter Across the Trading StackThe momentum extended beyond US venues. Polish broker XTB added 370,000 new clients and posted estimated Q1 net profit of PLN 535 million, up 176% year over year, with operating income rising 88.5% to PLN 1.09 billion. Swiss interdealer broker Compagnie Financière Tradition continued its growth streak, reporting first-quarter revenue up 17.4% at constant exchange rates to CHF 339.7 million, helped by elevated activity across rates, FX and commodities.Equinix lifted full-year revenue guidance to a range of $10.144 to $10.244 billion, from $10.123 to $10.223 billion previously, reflecting roughly 10 to 11% growth at the midpoint. Adjusted EBITDA guidance was raised to $5.165 to $5.245 billion, with margin expected at around 51%, while AFFO guidance moved to $4.198 to $4.278 billion.The company also flagged a pending acquisition of Nordic operator atNorth, struck jointly with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which Equinix said should close as immediately accretive to AFFO per share. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

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