We Think Some Shareholders May Hesitate To Increase NEXTDC Limited's (ASX:NXT) CEO Compensation

Key Insights

• NEXTDC to hold its Annual General Meeting on 13th of November
• Total pay for CEO Craig Scroggie includes AU$1.65m salary
• The total compensation is 49% higher than the average for the industry
• NEXTDC's EPS declined by 67% over the past three years while total shareholder return over the past three years was 85%

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The share price of NEXTDC Limited (ASX:NXT) has increased significantly over the past few years. However, the earnings growth has not kept up with the share price momentum, suggesting that some other factors may be driving the price direction. These concerns will be at the front of shareholders' minds as they go into the AGM coming up on 13th of November. It would also be an opportunity for them to influence management through exercising their voting power on company resolutions, including CEO and executive remuneration, which could impact on firm performance in the future. From what we gathered, we think shareholders should be wary of raising CEO compensation until the company shows some marked improvement.

View our latest analysis for NEXTDC

How Does Total Compensation For Craig Scroggie Compare With Other Companies In The Industry?

Our data indicates that NEXTDC Limited has a market capitalization of AU$10b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as AU$5.9m for the year to June 2025. That's a notable increase of 47% on last year. We think total compensation is more important but our data shows that the CEO salary is lower, at AU$1.6m.

In comparison with other companies in the Australian IT industry with market capitalizations ranging from AU$6.2b to AU$19b, the reported median CEO total compensation was AU$4.0m. Accordingly, our analysis reveals that NEXTDC Limited pays Craig Scroggie north of the industry median. Furthermore, Craig Scroggie directly owns AU$6.8m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success.

Component	2025	2024	Proportion (2025)
Salary	AU$1.6m	AU$1.5m	28%
Other	AU$4.3m	AU$2.5m	72%
Total Compensation	AU$5.9m	AU$4.0m	100%

On an industry level, roughly 52% of total compensation represents salary and 48% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that NEXTDC allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance.

NEXTDC Limited's Growth

Over the last three years, NEXTDC Limited has shrunk its earnings per share by 67% per year. It achieved revenue growth of 5.7% over the last year.

Few shareholders would be pleased to read that EPS have declined. And the modest revenue growth over 12 months isn't much comfort against the reduced EPS. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future.

Has NEXTDC Limited Been A Good Investment?

Boasting a total shareholder return of 85% over three years, NEXTDC Limited has done well by shareholders. So they may not be at all concerned if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for companies around the same size.

To Conclude...

While the return to shareholders does look promising, it's hard to ignore the lack of earnings growth and this makes us question whether these strong returns will continue. In the upcoming AGM, shareholders will get the opportunity to discuss any concerns with the board, including those related to CEO remuneration and assess if the board's plan will likely improve performance in the future.

It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. That's why we did our research, and identified 2 warning signs for NEXTDC (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock.

Important note: NEXTDC is an exciting stock, but we understand investors may be looking for an unencumbered balance sheet and blockbuster returns. You might find something better in this list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.