Iren Secures $9.7 Billion AI Cloud Contract with Microsoft
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 13 2026
0mins
Should l Buy IREN?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
Iren Ltd's stock is down 5.17% in pre-market trading, hitting a 5-day low amid broader market weakness with the Nasdaq-100 down 0.73% and S&P 500 down 0.46%.
The decline comes despite Iren's recent announcement of a $9.7 billion AI cloud contract with Microsoft, marking a significant strategic shift from Bitcoin mining to AI data center services. This transition has led to a notable improvement in net income, rising from a loss of $51.7 million to a gain of $384.6 million in Q1 of fiscal 2026, showcasing the company's strong growth potential in the AI infrastructure sector.
This recent contract is expected to drive revenue growth and enhance Iren's market competitiveness, despite the current stock price decline. Investors may view this as a temporary setback, given the company's strong performance over the past year and its successful pivot towards AI services.
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Analyst Views on IREN
Wall Street analysts forecast IREN stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for IREN is 80.40 USD with a low forecast of 39.00 USD and a high forecast of 136.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
12 Analyst Rating
8 Buy
2 Hold
2 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 41.830
Low
39.00
Averages
80.40
High
136.00
Current: 41.830
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. Its facilities are optimized for Bitcoin mining, artificial intelligence (AI) cloud services, and other power-dense compute. Its data center mining facilities are in Canal Flats, Mackenzie, Prince George and Childress. Bitcoin Mining provides security to the Bitcoin network. Al Cloud Services provides cloud compute to Al customers, approximately 1,896 NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs. Its Canal Flats facility is in the Canadian Rockies, 100 kilometers (km) from Cranbrook regional airport and 500km east of Vancouver. Its facility is in Prince George, the city in northern British Columbia, located 500 km north of Vancouver. Its facility is located in Childress County, Texas, over 250 miles northwest of Dallas and in close proximity to multiple wind and solar generating facilities in the region. Its Childress operations comprise 200 Mega Watt of operating data centers.
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.
Iren Misses Quarterly Expectations, AI Revenue Grows
- Quarterly Performance Miss: Iren's latest quarterly results fell short of market expectations, leading to diminished investor confidence in its future profitability, which could negatively impact its stock performance.
- Bitcoin Price Volatility: The decline in Bitcoin prices directly affected Iren's mining revenue, reflecting the potential risks that cryptocurrency market instability poses to the company's financial health.
- AI Revenue Growth: Despite the overall disappointing performance, Iren's artificial intelligence segment saw revenue growth, indicating the company's efforts to diversify its income streams, which may provide new momentum for future growth.
- Cautious Market Reaction: Given the underwhelming results, the market is adopting a cautious stance on Iren's outlook, potentially prompting investors to reassess their investment strategies in both the cryptocurrency and AI sectors.
See More
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- Gartner Earnings Miss: Gartner (NYSE:IT) fell 25.41% this week following the release of its fourth-quarter financial results and a downward revision of its FY26 guidance, with analysts' pessimistic outlook likely to exert further pressure on the stock.
- Reddit Stock Decline: Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) dropped 23.10% this week as multiple analysts lowered their price forecasts, reflecting market concerns over its profitability and potentially hindering its financing and expansion plans.
- Analyst Downgrades: Several analysts adjusted their price targets downward for these companies, indicating a widespread bearish sentiment regarding their future performance, which may lead investors to reassess their portfolios.
See More
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- Earnings Disappointment: Iren's latest earnings report revealed that, despite AI cloud revenue more than doubling, the reliance on Bitcoin mining, which still accounted for 90% of total revenue, led to a nearly 20% stock plunge this week, reflecting market concerns about future growth.
- Bitcoin Impact: The recent sell-off in Bitcoin exacerbated investor worries, hitting Iren particularly hard as a company transitioning from Bitcoin mining, and although AI cloud operations showed promise, they could not offset the negative effects of falling Bitcoin prices.
- Financing Progress: Iren has secured 95% of the financing needed for GPU purchases under its significant Microsoft contract, amounting to nearly $2 billion, which is a positive development; however, the lack of new AI deals disappointed investors.
- Market Trend: The broader tech sector faced significant sell-offs this week, and Iren's stock was not spared; while other recommended stocks by analysts performed well, Iren was notably absent from the list, indicating cautious sentiment regarding its future prospects.
See More
U.S. Stocks Hit Historic Highs as Tech Stocks Rebound
- Dow Jones Milestone: The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed the 50,000 mark for the first time, reflecting renewed investor confidence in technology and semiconductor stocks, which may drive future investment enthusiasm.
- Tech Stock Recovery: Despite a severe selloff in software and AI-related stocks leading to one of the sharpest pullbacks in years, the market's rebound before the weekend indicates sustained investor interest in tech stocks, potentially boosting earnings for related companies.
- Improved Market Breadth: Financials, industrials, and select consumer names joined the rally, indicating improved market sentiment, while Bitcoin's rebound also lifted crypto-linked stocks, showcasing investors' preference for diversified investments.
- Analysts Warn of Volatility: Despite a strong market finish, analysts caution that volatility remains high, urging investors to closely monitor upcoming earnings reports and Federal Reserve policy signals to assess the sustainability of massive AI spending.
See More
Iren Stock Rebounds but Remains Below Last Week's Close
- Stock Rebound: Iren's stock rose by 5.23% to close at $41.83, yet investor concerns over a Q2 earnings miss persist, indicating a cautious market outlook on its future performance.
- Surge in Trading Volume: Trading volume reached 74.3 million shares, approximately 84% above the three-month average, reflecting increased market interest in Iren's stock, although overall sentiment remains cautious.
- AI Transition Risks: Investors express concerns regarding Iren's pivot to AI data centers, especially after the lack of new AI deal announcements, which could hinder its future growth potential.
- Financing Status: Although Iren secured 95% of the financing needed to support its contract with Microsoft, including a $1.9 billion prepayment, market confidence in its execution capabilities remains low, resulting in the stock trading below last week's closing price.
See More
Iren Shares Plummet Amid Bitcoin Sell-Off and AI Deal Disappointment
- Stock Price Plunge: Iren Limited's shares have dropped nearly 20% this week, with a current price of $4.06 as of midday Friday, reflecting a broader market trend of selling off tech stocks and Bitcoin, which has undermined investor confidence.
- Bitcoin Revenue Dependency: While Iren's AI cloud revenue more than doubled, Bitcoin mining revenue still accounted for 90% of total revenue for the quarter ending December 31, 2026, indicating a significant reliance on Bitcoin despite the company's shift towards AI.
- Capital Expenditure Financing: The company reported that 95% of the financing needed for GPU purchases is secured, including nearly $2 billion prepaid by Microsoft, which provides a financial foundation for future AI infrastructure expansion.
- Lack of New Partnerships: Despite the positive financing news, Iren did not announce any new AI deals, which likely disappointed investors and contributed to the ongoing decline in stock price.
See More
Iren Misses Quarterly Expectations, AI Revenue Grows
- Quarterly Performance Miss: Iren's latest quarterly results fell short of market expectations, leading to diminished investor confidence in its future profitability, which could negatively impact its stock performance.
- Bitcoin Price Volatility: The decline in Bitcoin prices directly affected Iren's mining revenue, reflecting the potential risks that cryptocurrency market instability poses to the company's financial health.
- AI Revenue Growth: Despite the overall disappointing performance, Iren's artificial intelligence segment saw revenue growth, indicating the company's efforts to diversify its income streams, which may provide new momentum for future growth.
- Cautious Market Reaction: Given the underwhelming results, the market is adopting a cautious stance on Iren's outlook, potentially prompting investors to reassess their investment strategies in both the cryptocurrency and AI sectors.
See More
Worst Performing Large-Cap Stocks Last Week
- Stellantis Loss Warning: Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) plummeted 26.24% this week after the company warned of a full-year net loss, significantly eroding investor confidence and potentially impacting future financing capabilities.
- Gartner Earnings Miss: Gartner (NYSE:IT) fell 25.41% this week following the release of its fourth-quarter financial results and a downward revision of its FY26 guidance, with analysts' pessimistic outlook likely to exert further pressure on the stock.
- Reddit Stock Decline: Reddit (NYSE:RDDT) dropped 23.10% this week as multiple analysts lowered their price forecasts, reflecting market concerns over its profitability and potentially hindering its financing and expansion plans.
- Analyst Downgrades: Several analysts adjusted their price targets downward for these companies, indicating a widespread bearish sentiment regarding their future performance, which may lead investors to reassess their portfolios.
See More
Iren's Disappointing Earnings Report Leads to Stock Plunge
- Earnings Disappointment: Iren's latest earnings report revealed that, despite AI cloud revenue more than doubling, the reliance on Bitcoin mining, which still accounted for 90% of total revenue, led to a nearly 20% stock plunge this week, reflecting market concerns about future growth.
- Bitcoin Impact: The recent sell-off in Bitcoin exacerbated investor worries, hitting Iren particularly hard as a company transitioning from Bitcoin mining, and although AI cloud operations showed promise, they could not offset the negative effects of falling Bitcoin prices.
- Financing Progress: Iren has secured 95% of the financing needed for GPU purchases under its significant Microsoft contract, amounting to nearly $2 billion, which is a positive development; however, the lack of new AI deals disappointed investors.
- Market Trend: The broader tech sector faced significant sell-offs this week, and Iren's stock was not spared; while other recommended stocks by analysts performed well, Iren was notably absent from the list, indicating cautious sentiment regarding its future prospects.
See More
U.S. Stocks Hit Historic Highs as Tech Stocks Rebound
- Dow Jones Milestone: The Dow Jones Industrial Average surpassed the 50,000 mark for the first time, reflecting renewed investor confidence in technology and semiconductor stocks, which may drive future investment enthusiasm.
- Tech Stock Recovery: Despite a severe selloff in software and AI-related stocks leading to one of the sharpest pullbacks in years, the market's rebound before the weekend indicates sustained investor interest in tech stocks, potentially boosting earnings for related companies.
- Improved Market Breadth: Financials, industrials, and select consumer names joined the rally, indicating improved market sentiment, while Bitcoin's rebound also lifted crypto-linked stocks, showcasing investors' preference for diversified investments.
- Analysts Warn of Volatility: Despite a strong market finish, analysts caution that volatility remains high, urging investors to closely monitor upcoming earnings reports and Federal Reserve policy signals to assess the sustainability of massive AI spending.
See More
Iren Stock Rebounds but Remains Below Last Week's Close
- Stock Rebound: Iren's stock rose by 5.23% to close at $41.83, yet investor concerns over a Q2 earnings miss persist, indicating a cautious market outlook on its future performance.
- Surge in Trading Volume: Trading volume reached 74.3 million shares, approximately 84% above the three-month average, reflecting increased market interest in Iren's stock, although overall sentiment remains cautious.
- AI Transition Risks: Investors express concerns regarding Iren's pivot to AI data centers, especially after the lack of new AI deal announcements, which could hinder its future growth potential.
- Financing Status: Although Iren secured 95% of the financing needed to support its contract with Microsoft, including a $1.9 billion prepayment, market confidence in its execution capabilities remains low, resulting in the stock trading below last week's closing price.
See More
Iren Shares Plummet Amid Bitcoin Sell-Off and AI Deal Disappointment
- Stock Price Plunge: Iren Limited's shares have dropped nearly 20% this week, with a current price of $4.06 as of midday Friday, reflecting a broader market trend of selling off tech stocks and Bitcoin, which has undermined investor confidence.
- Bitcoin Revenue Dependency: While Iren's AI cloud revenue more than doubled, Bitcoin mining revenue still accounted for 90% of total revenue for the quarter ending December 31, 2026, indicating a significant reliance on Bitcoin despite the company's shift towards AI.
- Capital Expenditure Financing: The company reported that 95% of the financing needed for GPU purchases is secured, including nearly $2 billion prepaid by Microsoft, which provides a financial foundation for future AI infrastructure expansion.
- Lack of New Partnerships: Despite the positive financing news, Iren did not announce any new AI deals, which likely disappointed investors and contributed to the ongoing decline in stock price.
See More
