Core Scientific, Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) is one of the AI Stocks on the Market’s Radar. On December 18, Citizens upgraded the stock from Market Perform to “Market Outperform” with a price target of $30.00. Firm analysts cite robust HPC growth upside and growth prospects for CORZ. “We are upgrading the shares of Core Scientific to Market Outperform from Market Perform and are establishing a price target of $30 per share, which represents ~19x estimated 2027 EV/EBITDA, reflecting the company’s robust growth pros ...

We recently published 10 Firms Stealing the Show on Wall Street. Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) is one of the best performers on Thursday. Core Scientific snapped a four-day losing streak on Thursday, jumping 7.30 percent to close at $14.56 apiece as investors took heart from an investment firm’s “buy” recommendation for its stock. In a market report, investment firm Citizens issued a $30 price target for Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ) while raising its rating to “outperform” from “market perform ...

Core Scientific Investment Overview - DSC Meridian Capital increased its stake in Core Scientific by nearly 1.4 million shares, bringing total holdings to 2.3 million shares valued at approximately $40.9 million at quarter-end, reflecting a $25.4 million increase in position [1][2] - Core Scientific now represents 8.3% of DSC Meridian Capital's 13F assets under management [3] Company Performance Metrics - As of the latest report, Core Scientific shares are priced at $13.57, down 15% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500, which is up 12% [3] - Core Scientific has a market capitalization of $4.2 billion, with a trailing twelve months (TTM) revenue of $334.2 million and a net income of -$768.3 million [4] Business Operations - Core Scientific operates digital asset mining facilities and provides blockchain infrastructure and digital asset mining services in North America, targeting institutional clients and enterprises [6][9] - The company reported a year-over-year revenue decline to $81.1 million, but high-density colocation revenue increased to $15 million from $10.3 million, indicating a strategic pivot towards AI and advanced compute infrastructure [10] Financial Stability - Core Scientific's gross profit turned positive at $3.9 million, a significant improvement from losses in the prior-year quarter, while net losses narrowed despite ongoing capital investments [10] - The company exited the quarter with approximately $695 million in liquidity, including cash and bitcoin holdings, which is crucial for its long-term strategy [10] Market Sentiment - Analysts have recently become more positive about Core Scientific, with firms like Macquarie, Clear Street, and Cantor Fitzgerald raising their price targets or issuing more favorable ratings [11]

Core Scientific ( CORZ ) has been on a massive business transformation over the past several years. What was once a Bitcoin-focused miner, the company has quickly pivoted to help support the AI infrastructure build-out. Add in the potentialAnalyst’s Disclosure:I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compen ...

Market Overview - Bitcoin mining equities experienced a decline of approximately 10% following a significant drop in bitcoin prices, which fell from $89,474 to $87,024.78 within an hour [1] - The decline in bitcoin prices coincided with reports of forced closures of cryptocurrency mining operations in China [1] Regulatory Impact - The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified its crackdown on bitcoin mining, resulting in the shutdown of 1-2 GW of mining operations in Xinjiang, equating to a loss of 100 EH/s in bitcoin mining hashrate, or 1/12th of the network's total computing capacity prior to the crackdown [2] Company Performance - CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) reported the largest decline among publicly traded bitcoin miners, with shares falling 13.83% to $12.09 [3] - TeraWulf (NASDAQ: WULF) also saw a significant decrease, with shares down 12.56% to $12.53 [3] - Cipher Mining (NASDAQ: CIFR) shares retreated 12.46% to $14.93, while IREN (NASDAQ: IREN) lost 9.59% to $36.28 [4] - Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) dropped 6.99% to $14.23, and MARA (NASDAQ: MARA) fell 6.81% to $10.74 [4] - Galaxy Digital (GLXY) experienced a moderate decline of 5.05% to $25.40, while Core Scientific (NASDAQ: CORZ) showed resilience with a smaller decline of 4.78% to $15.74 [4]

Investment Rating - The report maintains an "Accumulate" rating for the industry [6] Core Insights - In recent years, several Bitcoin mining companies have partnered with AI cloud providers, utilizing part of their electricity for GPU hosting and developing AIDC (AI Data Center) businesses, with contracts totaling $53.6 billion and involving 1.959 GW of power [1][11] - The market perceives that Bitcoin mining companies primarily have an advantage in electricity resources compared to other AIDC competitors, but many have prior experience in self-operated cloud services [4][10] - The report suggests that companies with more AI electricity capacity tend to have higher market valuations, with average valuations of $4.73 million/MW for total electricity, $12.26 million/MW for mining electricity, and $144 million/MW for AI electricity [4][55] Summary by Sections 1. Current Status of Bitcoin Mining Transformation to AIDC - As of November 3, 2025, six Bitcoin mining companies have signed contracts with at least five cloud providers, totaling $53.6 billion and involving 1.959 GW of power [1][11] - Over 50% of the AI cloud providers that signed contracts with Bitcoin mining companies are emerging firms, with Coreweave being the largest [2][13] - The average contract duration for AIDC projects is 14 years, with a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 25 years [3][24] - The average price for key IT load contracts is $1.73 million/MW/year, indicating a consistent pricing structure across projects [3][27] 2. Reasons and Models for Transformation - The transition to AIDC is driven by the uncertainty in revenue and profitability from Bitcoin mining, which faces challenges such as fluctuating prices and increasing competition [33][35] - AIDC offers higher gross margins compared to Bitcoin mining, with various projects reporting net operating income margins between 80% and 88% [40][39] 3. Self-Operated Cloud Services by Mining Companies - Companies like Iris Energy, Hive Digital, and Bitdeer are actively developing self-operated AI cloud services, with Iris Energy expected to operate 140,000 GPUs by the end of 2026 [43][47] - Bitdeer plans to operate 1,160 GPUs by the end of 2025, while Hive Digital aims to exceed 11,000 GPUs by the end of 2026 [44][51] 4. Future Outlook for AIDC Transformation - The report anticipates an acceleration in the transformation of Bitcoin mining companies to AIDC, as companies with more AI electricity capacity are valued higher in the market [55] - The report highlights the importance of companies having substantial electricity reserves and experience in AI cloud services for future investment opportunities [4][55]

Core Insights - The article presents a perspective on stock investments, emphasizing the author's unique insights and knowledge in the field [1] Group 1 - The analyst holds long positions in CRWV, AMZN, and GOOG through various financial instruments [2] - The article is authored by the analyst without external compensation, indicating an independent viewpoint [2] - The analysis aims to provide contrasting views on the portfolio, suggesting a diverse investment strategy [1] Group 2 - The content is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute professional investment advice [3] - Investors are encouraged to conduct personal research and due diligence before making investment decisions [3] - The article clarifies that past performance does not guarantee future results, highlighting the inherent risks in trading [4]

Core Insights - Multiple Bitcoin mining stocks are experiencing gains as network difficulty decreases and Bitcoin prices improve, leading to better mining revenues [1] - Year-to-date performance shows significant gains for several companies, with IREN leading at 357% [3] Company Performance - MARA gained 11.97% this week, followed by CleanSpark at 11.75%, Core Scientific at 5.56%, and Hut 8 at 1.04% [2] - American Bitcoin saw a significant drop of 42.38% due to an investor unlock, while IREN fell by 4.13% after a convertible note announcement [2] - Year-to-date, IREN has a 357% gain, Terawulf at 154%, and Hut 8 at 104%, while MARA is down 28% for the year [3] Mining Economics - Hashprice has dropped below $40 per petahash per day, indicating that operator revenues are at a new low despite the decrease in mining difficulty [3] - The average machine operates at 32 joules per terahash, with a break-even hashcost of approximately $38.40 per petahash per day at a power cost of $0.05 per kilowatt-hour [4] - Many miners are close to or below profitability, potentially needing to rely on cash reserves or reduce operations to manage costs [4] Monthly Mining Reports - Riot and CleanSpark reported 428 and 587 Bitcoin mined in November, respectively, while Cango mined 546 Bitcoin, slightly lower than the previous month [5] - Bitdeer, a Bitcoin miner and ASIC manufacturer, is facing a lawsuit regarding alleged miscommunications about its new unit's performance and production timelines [5]

Core Investment Insights - Kintayl Capital LP has initiated a new position in Core Scientific, acquiring 570,054 shares valued at approximately $10.2 million, representing 6.3% of Kintayl's $162.2 million in reportable U.S. equity assets [2][9] - Core Scientific's shares are currently priced at $17.08, reflecting a 2% decline over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500, which has increased nearly 13% in the same period [2][3] Company Overview - Core Scientific is a leading provider of blockchain infrastructure and digital asset mining services, operating extensive facilities across North America [5] - The company utilizes proprietary software and hardware optimization to deliver high-performance mining and hosting solutions, focusing on institutional customers [5] Financial Performance - Core Scientific reported a total revenue of $334.2 million for the trailing twelve months (TTM), with a net income loss of $768.3 million [3] - Despite a 15% year-over-year revenue decline, gross profit improved modestly in the third quarter, indicating some resilience in its financial performance [6] Strategic Focus - The company is undergoing a strategic shift towards high-density colocation services, which have shown growth from $10.3 million to $15 million in the latest quarter [10] - Core Scientific's business model includes generating revenue from mining digital currencies, transaction fees, and offering hosting solutions to institutional clients [7] Market Position and Future Outlook - The new stake by Kintayl Capital suggests a view of Core Scientific as an infrastructure play rather than merely a crypto trade, indicating a fundamental transition in the company's operations [9] - The pending all-stock acquisition by CoreWeave introduces both potential and uncertainty regarding valuation and long-term direction [8]

Core Viewpoint - Core Scientific, Inc. is a significant player in the blockchain infrastructure and digital asset mining sector in North America, utilizing proprietary technology and large-scale facilities to enhance mining efficiency and provide hosting solutions to institutional clients [1] Business Model - The company operates a dual business model, generating revenue from both proprietary digital asset mining and hosting services for third-party clients [2] - Core Scientific's revenue streams include digital asset mining, blockchain infrastructure, and colocation services, with a notable focus on high-density colocation and AI-related workloads [5] Financial Performance - In the third quarter, total revenue decreased to $81.1 million from $95.4 million year-over-year, while high-density colocation revenue increased to $15 million from $10.3 million [6] - The company reported a gross profit of $3.9 million, a significant improvement from a loss of $0.2 million in the previous year, despite a net loss of $146.7 million attributed to non-cash fair-value adjustments [6] - Liquidity remains strong at $694.8 million, including $453.4 million in cash and $241.4 million in bitcoin, providing the company with the capacity to fund its AI-infrastructure initiatives [6] Investment Activity - VR Advisory Services established a new position in Core Scientific, acquiring 1.2 million shares valued at approximately $21.7 million, representing 5.3% of the fund's reportable U.S. equity AUM [3][4] - This investment reflects VR Advisory's confidence in Core Scientific's transition towards more stable revenue streams, moving away from the volatility associated with bitcoin mining [5][7]