Latest news with #IREN
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Miner MARA Holdings Upgraded to Overweight at JPMorgan; IREN and Riot Cut to Neutral
Wall Street bank JPMorgan reshuffled ratings and price targets on a group of bitcoin miners to begin the week. Updating estimates for the group to reflect second-quarter earnings and changes to the network hashrate and the bitcoin price, the bank upgraded MARA Holdings (MARA) to overweight and lifted its price target to $22 from $19, suggesting about 30% upside from the Friday close just above $17. IREN (IREN) was downgraded to neutral from overweight, though the price target was lifted to $16 from $12. Riot Platforms (RIOT) was also cut to neutral from overweight, and its target increased to $15 from $14. Overweight rated CleanSpark (CLSK) is the bank's top pick, with a raised price target of $15 versus $14 previous, suggesting about 30% upside from the close just below $12 on Friday. Unrated Cipher Mining (CIFR) has a new price objective of $6. "In a shift, we favor the pure-play operators within our coverage universe, as they offer the best relative value, and are best positioned to benefit from a rising bitcoin price," analysts Reginald Smith and Charles Pearce wrote. Miner price targets have been increased to account for higher bitcoin prices and improving mining profitability, the authors continued. The world's largest cryptocurrency was trading around $118,700 at publication time.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why IREN Limited (IREN) is a Great Choice
Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades. Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us. Below, we take a look at IREN Limited (IREN), which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions. It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. IREN Limited currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period. You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>> Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if IREN is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this company holds up. Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It's also helpful to compare a security to its industry; this can show investors the best companies in a particular area. For IREN, shares are up 10.54% over the past week while the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry is up 0.03% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 35.16% compares favorably with the industry's 4.54% performance as well. Considering longer term price metrics, like performance over the last three months or year, can be advantageous as well. Shares of IREN Limited have increased 178.18% over the past quarter, and have gained 87.91% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 16.04% and 19.71%, respectively. Investors should also pay attention to IREN's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. IREN is currently averaging 33,024,842 shares for the last 20 days. Earnings Outlook The Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with IREN. Over the past two months, 2 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost IREN's consensus estimate, increasing from $0.06 to $0.14 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 2 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period. Bottom Line Given these factors, it shouldn't be surprising that IREN is a #2 (Buy) stock and boasts a Momentum Score of B. If you're looking for a fresh pick that's set to soar in the near-term, make sure to keep IREN Limited on your short list. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report IREN Limited (IREN) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How to create a talent pipeline
Childress is a city of about 7,000 people in Northwest Texas, near the state border with Oklahoma. It's a rural community with ample open space and abundant energy resources — the ideal environment for the data centers driving today's digital economy. The talent to fill them was always there — someone just needed to recognize, invest in, and help it grow. That's where IREN came in. It's a next-generation data center company that uses renewable energy to power AI and other emerging technologies. In 2022, the company broke ground on a 420-acre data center in Childress when it encountered an obstacle: The local workforce it needed for the new facility couldn't be found using a traditional talent strategy, which screens out applicants without a college degree or highly specialized prior experience. How did IREN build a thriving data center without having the data center technicians, electricians, network engineers, and other skilled professionals to staff it? The company pivoted. Rather than looking solely at people's past jobs or where they attended college, IREN prioritized skills and aptitudes. While IREN's traditional hiring strategy suggested the workforce it needed for its new data center was in short supply, the company expanded its talent pipeline by giving people the chance to learn new skills and harnessing their motivation to contribute. IREN accomplished this through four talent development programs, which offered people options such as apprenticeships in skilled trades and financial assistance to pursue relevant careers. The company filled all its open roles in Childress, developed a more loyal, high-performing team, saved money, and improved the city's economic opportunity and mobility. Today, IREN continues to build a world-class workforce by cultivating local talent through an emphasis on their potential, their unique skills, and their interests. David Shaw, IREN's chief operating officer, says this mindset can benefit any employer, regardless of location. 'Any company, in any industry, can close workforce gaps by looking beyond traditional hiring and investing in people and communities,' he said. 'It leads to stronger local economies and a more inclusive and sustainable workforce across the nation.' Data centers store, process, and distribute the information that powers much of today's world. Shaw calls these facilities 'the backbone of the digital economy' because they anchor technologies such as generative AI, cloud services, fintech, the bitcoin network, and global communications. The rising need for computing power to fuel these technologies means the demand for data centers is rapidly increasing. But, as IREN discovered in Childress, staffing them with the data center technicians, network engineers, facility managers, and other skilled professionals these facilities need can be challenging. Fortunately, IREN found success by pairing top-tier external talent with untapped potential in the community. This blended model strengthens IREN's teams and deepens its local roots — a framework other employers can follow. 'We hire based on capability, drive, and potential,' Shaw said. 'We seek cross-functional skill sets and consider the whole person, not just a resume.' The results were impressive. Today, IREN employs over 100 full-time members in Childress. While long-term staffing may shift as operations evolve, IREN's investment has already created significant employment opportunities and made an economic impact in the area. IREN is now seeing better operational performance, less turnover, and deeper connections to its local workforce. Plus, the company saves money by reducing its use of resource-intensive external training and recruitment initiatives. IREN's talent practices also provide meaningful work, growth opportunities, and a better quality of life for people closer to their homes. IREN's People, Culture, and Community team is building the company's data center workforce by tapping into under-leveraged talent in rural Texas and helping it thrive. This bottom-up model requires believing in everyone's potential and cultivating close ties to the region's business, education, and nonprofit communities. IREN's strategy includes: For an example of how these programs work in practice, consider IREN's apprenticeship program. It recently helped an employee from a small rural community near Childress become a journeyman electrician. The program enabled the employee to attend trade school at night while working full time at IREN and receiving hands-on experience and mentorship. It also gave him a clear path to advancement: He's now in a leadership role and growing his skills — all because IREN recognized his strong work ethic and desire to stay near home. 'This shared value model strengthens our relationships with the regions we serve and reinforces our commitment to long-term sustainability, economic resilience, and mutual success,' Shaw said. IREN isn't the only organization interested in transforming regional talent ecosystems. The Education Design Lab is joining several other organizations to make Texas a leader in digital workforce development as part of the Texas Flywheel Initiative. Launched in 2024, the initiative aims to drive economic growth and ensure that all Texans can get the skills required to participate in the data center industry. The lab is a national nonprofit that codesigns, prototypes, and tests education-to-workforce models through a human-centered process, connecting learners to economic mobility. 'What I appreciate about IREN is how they leverage local talent and try to collaborate with local stakeholders,' said Dr. Leah Ben-Ami, The lab's senior ecosystem designer. 'The company is providing them with a pathway into an emerging industry in Childress, where those pathways may not be as readily available.' Dr. Ben-Ami says the Texas Flywheel hopes to 'connect the dots' between the players in Texas' digital economy — including IREN — so that the state's training pathways help people acquire the skills employers need. The goal is a collaborative ecosystem to create awareness of — and access to — programs that empower people to contribute to the Lone Star State's emerging data center industry. For instance, Texas Flywheel has conducted several events to facilitate networking and thought leadership within Texas. One such gathering was the Texas Digital Economy Convening in Fort Worth last February, which featured over 60 stakeholders, including IREN. The event focused on building relationships and establishing a shared understanding of the upskilling and mobility opportunities and challenges facing rural prospective hires. The convening also sought to reduce industry silos and identify core education partners to help build credential pathways. Texas Flywheel has engaged with over 140 stakeholders through its convenings, including 60 employers, 40 training providers and educators, and 25 community and workforce groups. The lab's and IREN's talent development efforts come as Texas' number of data centers rapidly grows. Texas currently boasts America's second-largest concentration of data centers, with 363 data centers in 24 markets statewide. This number will only increase as rural Texas gains more energy infrastructure. The separate approaches to talent development from the lab and IREN are reaching the same destination: more economic mobility and opportunity for all. Their success shows that communities, employers, nonprofits, and talent can achieve big outcomes when they collaborate. Shaw says IREN's talent innovations strive to strengthen everyone the company touches. With IREN's Childress facility expected to have a business life lasting several decades, both the company and the community will reap positive returns for years. 'IREN's strategy is designed to create lasting, meaningful impact for everyone involved in the company, the communities we operate in, and the individuals who live there,' Shaw said. For any employer seeking to build a strong workforce pipeline, IREN's experience in Childress proves that the solution often lies within the community itself. By focusing on aptitudes and investing in skills, employers can unlock the talent that's been there all along. Join the Texas Flywheel Initiative. Education Design Lab is supported by the Charles Koch Foundation, which as part of the Stand Together community funds cutting-edge research and helps expand postsecondary educational options. Learn more about Stand Together's efforts to transform the future of work and explore ways you can partner with us.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Miner IREN Could Surge 1,572% As SOTP Valuation Pegs $300 Target — Hedge Fund Manager Eric Jackson Says, 'We're Cooking With Gas'
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. IREN Ltd. (NASDAQ:IREN), a renewable-powered data center and Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) mining company, may be significantly undervalued, according to a detailed 'sum of the parts' (SOTP) analysis circulating on X, as highlighted by Eric Jackson, the founder of EMJ Capital. Check out the current price of IREN stock here. What Happened: Posted by ₿itcoin ₿utcher on Sunday, the analysis projects a staggering $300 per share valuation, implying a potential 1572.24% upside from its current price of approximately $18.00 apiece. This bullish forecast has sparked interest among investors, with Jackson noting that 'Now we're cooking with gas,' in his X post. This comes as Jackson had also pointed out in June that he was expecting the stock to soar over $100 apiece in the next 18 months. Trending: GoSun's Breakthrough Rooftop EV Charger Already Has 2,000+ Units Reserved — The SOTP method, as outlined by the X user, breaks down IREN's value into three key revenue streams: colocation, Bitcoin mining, and cloud service provision. The analysis assigns a $45.2 billion valuation to colocation, leveraging market comparables and a premium due to AI-driven demand, as inspired by insights from Gary Cardone's MiningPod interview with IREN CCO Kent Draper. Bitcoin mining contributes $2.1 billion, derived from a comparison with another mining company, CleanSpark Inc. (NASDAQ:CLSK), while cloud services add $25.2 billion, capitalizing on IREN's air-cooled facilities in Childress in Texas, and Mackenzie in Canada. "Building world-class data centers allows $IREN the flexibility to exercise multiple use cases," ₿itcoin ₿utcher wrote, emphasizing the company's strategic edge. Despite the lack of peer-reviewed validation, the analysis suggests a potential 3x return, even if off by 80%. IREN's diversified model positions it as a high-upside opportunity for risk-tolerant investors. Why It Matters: Jackson has been bullish on IREN and Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) as he had highlighted in an X post earlier in July that these Bitcoin miners were undervalued. Even as BTC hit fresh highs, he said that BTC miners — IREN and CIFR were 'still priced like it's (Bitcoin is) $58K." Jackson underscored three points in their favour. IREN and CIFR have been; Cutting costs Increasing their exahashes per second Making a massive move into AI and high-performance computing (HPC) out of their BTC cash flow. "The market just hasn't caught up yet. I'm long," he Next: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — And You Can Invest At Just $6.37/Share If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Photo courtesy: Antonio Gravante on This article Bitcoin Miner IREN Could Surge 1,572% As SOTP Valuation Pegs $300 Target — Hedge Fund Manager Eric Jackson Says, 'We're Cooking With Gas' originally appeared on Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BTIG Maintains a Buy on Iris Energy (IREN), Sets a PT of $22
Iris Energy Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) is one of the top bitcoin mining stocks to buy amid bitcoin hike. On July 15, BTIG analyst Gregory Lewis maintained a Buy rating on Iris Energy Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) and set a price target of $22.00. IREN Ltd. (IREN) Soars for 7th Day, as Firm On Track to Hit Hash Rate Target A table full of technology, with bitcoin mining rigs and a laptop showing a financial graph. Iris Energy Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) reported record monthly revenue and hardware profile in June 2025. Total revenue reached $68 million, and the company reached its self-mining target of 50 EH/s. The report also showed that Iris Energy Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) expanded its AI Cloud Business with ~2.4k Blackwell GPUs and completed an oversubscribed $550 million convertible notes offering, strengthening its market presence and infrastructure capabilities. Formerly known as Iris Energy Limited, IREN Limited (NASDAQ:IREN) is an Australia-based company that owns and operates renewable energy-powered data centers. Its facilities are specially optimized for Bitcoin mining, AI cloud services, and other power-dense computing. While we acknowledge the potential of IREN as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.