IREN's Australia Data Center Project on Track for 2028 Launch
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jun 03 2026
0mins
Source: stocktwits
- Project Progress: IREN's 800-megawatt data center project in South Australia is on track to begin operations in 2028, benefiting from submarine fiber links to key Asia-Pacific markets like Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan, significantly enhancing the company's market reach.
- Job Creation: The project is expected to create over 500 construction jobs and more than 200 permanent skilled positions, further driving local economic development and strengthening IREN's business impact in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Enhanced Financing Support: IREN recently closed a $3.65 billion investment-grade financing facility to support its AI cloud agreement with Microsoft, prompting Canaccord to raise its price target from $70 to $79, indicating a potential upside of nearly 19%.
- Market Sentiment Shift: Despite a more than 4% increase in stock price, retail investor sentiment has shifted from 'bullish' to 'neutral', indicating cautious market outlook on IREN's future performance, with investors focusing on breaking through key resistance levels.
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Analyst Views on IREN
Wall Street analysts forecast IREN stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
2 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 58.110
Low
39.00
Averages
80.40
High
136.00
Current: 58.110
Low
39.00
Averages
80.40
High
136.00
About IREN
IREN Limited is an Australia-based company, which owns and operates data centers powered by 100% renewable energy. The Company is vertically integrated artificial intelligence (AI) Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and graphics processing unit (GPU) clusters for AI training and inference. Its platform is underpinned by its portfolio of grid-connected land and power in regions across North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific (APAC). Its data centers are optimized for power-dense computing applications and support a combination of GPUs for High-Performance Computing (HPC) and AI services and ASICs for Bitcoin mining. Its data center mining facilities are in Sweetwater, Canal Flats, Mackenzie, Prince George, and Childress. Al Cloud Services provides cloud compute to Al customers, approximately 1,896 NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs. Its Canal Flats facility is located on a 10-acre freehold site, directly connected to the BC Hydro power grid through a 30 megawatt (MW).
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Outstanding Fund Performance: Leopold Aschenbrenner's Situational Awareness hedge fund, launched in September 2024, has delivered over 1,000% returns since inception and currently manages more than $20 billion in assets, highlighting its strong performance and market appeal in AI investments.
- Clear Investment Focus: Aschenbrenner believes that the growth bottleneck for the AI market lies in the physical constraints of data centers, chips, and power grids, which is why his fund heavily invests in 'neocloud' companies that provide infrastructure services specifically for AI firms, offering greater flexibility and cost efficiency.
- Massive Market Potential: According to Synergy Research Group, the neocloud market is expected to grow at an explosive 58% CAGR from 2025 to 2031, indicating significant investment opportunities as the AI market expands.
- Key Investment Companies: The fund's investments in Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN are attracting attention, with projected explosive revenue growth of 550%, 147%, and 46% respectively over the next few years, underscoring their strategic importance in the AI infrastructure sector.
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- Significant Investment Returns: Leopold Aschenbrenner's Situational Awareness hedge fund has achieved over 1,000% returns since inception by investing in three neocloud companies—Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN—managing over $20 billion in assets, showcasing the success of its investment strategy.
- Company Financial Performance: Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN are expected to achieve revenue growth of 550%, 147%, and 46% respectively in 2026, and although their current price-to-sales ratios are six, three, and seven times, economies of scale could reduce costs and stabilize profit growth in the long term.
- Competitive Advantage in Industry: Neocloud companies accelerate AI task processing by installing specialized hardware like data center GPUs, offering more flexible contracts compared to traditional hyperscale cloud providers, thereby enhancing their competitive edge in the AI sector.
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- Stock Surge: Iren's shares surged approximately 5% in premarket trading on Thursday, reflecting positive investor sentiment towards its strategic pivot and market positioning, showcasing recognition of its potential revenue generation.
- Strategic Transformation: Iren has successfully transitioned from a Bitcoin mining operation to a vertically integrated AI cloud provider, boasting a long-term powered land bank of around 6 GW and contracts with Microsoft and Nvidia that are expected to deliver $3.1 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR), enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
- Financing Structure: The Microsoft contract includes a $1.9 billion prepayment and $3.65 billion in GPU financing at approximately 6% rates, enabling Iren to recoup its $8.8 billion investment within the contract term at unlevered internal rates of return exceeding 20%, demonstrating its financial robustness and profitability potential.
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- Apple Price Increase: Apple plans to raise prices on its iPhone Pro model by approximately $270 due to surging memory costs, while carriers may still offer attractive deals to cushion the impact on consumers, which could affect Apple's competitive positioning in the market.
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- Analyst Upgrade: Jefferies has upgraded IREN to a ‘Buy’ rating with a price target of $79, anticipating that the company's pivot to AI infrastructure will unlock long-term value for shareholders, contributing to a nearly 4% rise in premarket trading.
- Significant Contract Potential: Contracts with Microsoft and Nvidia are projected to support approximately $3.1 billion in annual recurring revenue, and IREN's 6 GW land bank and flexible data center ownership provide it with a unique competitive edge in the market.
- Major Milestones: The landmark 200-megawatt lease agreement with Microsoft and a separate $3.4 billion AI cloud contract with Nvidia signify IREN's successful transition from pure-play crypto mining to AI, with expectations of generating internal rates of return exceeding 20%.
- Mixed Market Sentiment: While analysts remain broadly positive on IREN, retail investor sentiment has turned mixed, with some expressing frustration over a lack of new contracts, suggesting that the market may be underestimating management's strategic approach.
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- Nice Upgrade: DA Davidson upgrades Nice from neutral to buy, maintaining a $110 price target, arguing that concerns about AI disruption are overblown, suggesting a more optimistic outlook that could boost the company's stock price.
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- Outstanding Fund Performance: Leopold Aschenbrenner's Situational Awareness hedge fund, launched in September 2024, has delivered over 1,000% returns since inception and currently manages more than $20 billion in assets, highlighting its strong performance and market appeal in AI investments.
- Clear Investment Focus: Aschenbrenner believes that the growth bottleneck for the AI market lies in the physical constraints of data centers, chips, and power grids, which is why his fund heavily invests in 'neocloud' companies that provide infrastructure services specifically for AI firms, offering greater flexibility and cost efficiency.
- Massive Market Potential: According to Synergy Research Group, the neocloud market is expected to grow at an explosive 58% CAGR from 2025 to 2031, indicating significant investment opportunities as the AI market expands.
- Key Investment Companies: The fund's investments in Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN are attracting attention, with projected explosive revenue growth of 550%, 147%, and 46% respectively over the next few years, underscoring their strategic importance in the AI infrastructure sector.
See More
Investment Potential Analysis of Emerging Neocloud Companies
- Market Growth Potential: According to Synergy Research Group, the neocloud market is projected to grow at a 58% CAGR from 2025 to 2031, indicating that the rapid expansion of the AI market will drive demand for cloud infrastructure services.
- Significant Investment Returns: Leopold Aschenbrenner's Situational Awareness hedge fund has achieved over 1,000% returns since inception by investing in three neocloud companies—Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN—managing over $20 billion in assets, showcasing the success of its investment strategy.
- Company Financial Performance: Nebius, CoreWeave, and IREN are expected to achieve revenue growth of 550%, 147%, and 46% respectively in 2026, and although their current price-to-sales ratios are six, three, and seven times, economies of scale could reduce costs and stabilize profit growth in the long term.
- Competitive Advantage in Industry: Neocloud companies accelerate AI task processing by installing specialized hardware like data center GPUs, offering more flexible contracts compared to traditional hyperscale cloud providers, thereby enhancing their competitive edge in the AI sector.
See More
Jefferies Initiates Coverage on Iren with Buy Rating and $79 Target
- Coverage Initiation: Jefferies has initiated coverage on Australian AI infrastructure provider Iren (IREN) with a Buy rating and a price target of $79, indicating strong market optimism regarding its future growth potential.
- Stock Surge: Iren's shares surged approximately 5% in premarket trading on Thursday, reflecting positive investor sentiment towards its strategic pivot and market positioning, showcasing recognition of its potential revenue generation.
- Strategic Transformation: Iren has successfully transitioned from a Bitcoin mining operation to a vertically integrated AI cloud provider, boasting a long-term powered land bank of around 6 GW and contracts with Microsoft and Nvidia that are expected to deliver $3.1 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR), enhancing its competitive edge in the market.
- Financing Structure: The Microsoft contract includes a $1.9 billion prepayment and $3.65 billion in GPU financing at approximately 6% rates, enabling Iren to recoup its $8.8 billion investment within the contract term at unlevered internal rates of return exceeding 20%, demonstrating its financial robustness and profitability potential.
See More
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- New Fed Chair: Kevin Warsh's assertive tone at his first press conference indicates a potential shift in monetary policy, leading to an overreaction in the market, as evidenced by rising futures this morning, which may influence investor sentiment moving forward.
- Apple Price Increase: Apple plans to raise prices on its iPhone Pro model by approximately $270 due to surging memory costs, while carriers may still offer attractive deals to cushion the impact on consumers, which could affect Apple's competitive positioning in the market.
- Intel Collaboration News: President Trump announced on social media that Apple has agreed to collaborate with Intel to design and manufacture chips in America, resulting in a surge in Intel's stock price, reflecting a strong support for domestic manufacturing and potential growth opportunities.
- Marvell Price Target Increase: KeyBanc raised Marvell's price target from $260 to $385, with analysts expressing optimism about the company's prospects in server networking, indicating strong confidence in its future growth potential.
See More
IREN Transitions to AI Data Center Operator with Strong Analyst Support
- Analyst Upgrade: Jefferies has upgraded IREN to a ‘Buy’ rating with a price target of $79, anticipating that the company's pivot to AI infrastructure will unlock long-term value for shareholders, contributing to a nearly 4% rise in premarket trading.
- Significant Contract Potential: Contracts with Microsoft and Nvidia are projected to support approximately $3.1 billion in annual recurring revenue, and IREN's 6 GW land bank and flexible data center ownership provide it with a unique competitive edge in the market.
- Major Milestones: The landmark 200-megawatt lease agreement with Microsoft and a separate $3.4 billion AI cloud contract with Nvidia signify IREN's successful transition from pure-play crypto mining to AI, with expectations of generating internal rates of return exceeding 20%.
- Mixed Market Sentiment: While analysts remain broadly positive on IREN, retail investor sentiment has turned mixed, with some expressing frustration over a lack of new contracts, suggesting that the market may be underestimating management's strategic approach.
See More
Latest Wall Street Rating Updates
- Apple Rating Reaffirmed: Bank of America reiterates Apple as a buy, believing that price increases are already reflected in the stock, anticipating that rising memory costs will force Apple to raise prices, impacting future earnings performance.
- Nice Upgrade: DA Davidson upgrades Nice from neutral to buy, maintaining a $110 price target, arguing that concerns about AI disruption are overblown, suggesting a more optimistic outlook that could boost the company's stock price.
- Immix Biopharma Initiation: Bank of America initiates coverage of Immix Biopharma with a buy rating and a $27 price target, citing the company's differentiated product offerings as a significant growth driver.
- Salesforce Upgrade: Monness Crespi Hardt upgrades Salesforce from neutral to buy with a $200 price target, based on its depressed valuation, strong cash flow generation, and support for customer transformation, which are expected to drive stock price increases.
See More
