Shares of GDS Holdings Ltd (NASDAQ:GDS) tumbled 7.25% in pre-market trading on Wednesday, following the release of its fourth-quarter sales report that fell short of analyst expectations. The data center operator's disappointing results have sparked concerns among investors about the company's growth trajectory.

GDS Holdings reported quarterly sales of $368.60 million, missing the analyst consensus estimate of $430.70 million by a significant 14.42 percent. This shortfall in revenue highlights potential challenges in the company's business operations or market conditions that may have impacted its performance.

Despite the miss, it's worth noting that the reported sales figure represents a modest 2.37 percent increase compared to the same period last year when the company recorded sales of $360.07 million. However, this growth rate appears to have fallen short of market expectations, contributing to the negative sentiment in pre-market trading.

The substantial pre-market decline suggests that investors are reassessing their outlook on GDS Holdings in light of these results. As the market opens, it remains to be seen how the stock will perform and whether the company can provide reassurance about its future prospects to mitigate the current negative reaction.