Equinix (EQIX) stock surged 5.02% in Thursday's pre-market trading session following a series of analyst price target increases and positive news about the company's expansion plans. The data center giant's shares climbed on the back of strong industry demand and bullish analyst sentiment.

Multiple analysts raised their price targets for Equinix, reflecting growing confidence in the company's prospects. JP Morgan increased its target price to $950 from $940, while BMO Capital raised its target to $900 from $850. TD Cowen also adjusted its target upwards to $995 from $993. These upgrades underscore the market's positive outlook on Equinix's growth trajectory in the data center space.

Adding to the optimism, Equinix announced plans to invest £4 billion ($5.37 billion) in the UK with a new data center on an 85-acre site in South Mimms, Hertfordshire. The facility is expected to have 250 megawatts of processing capacity and aims to be operational by 2030. This significant expansion highlights Equinix's commitment to meeting the surging demand for data center services, particularly in light of the growing AI and cloud computing markets.