Why Bernstein Just Boosted Its Price Target for Bitcoin Miner IREN

Core Insights - Bernstein has given IREN an outperform rating and raised its price target to $125 per share following a $9.7 billion cloud services agreement with Microsoft, indicating strong potential for the company in the AI sector [1][2]. Company Developments - IREN will provide Microsoft with access to Nvidia's GB300 GPUs as part of a five-year deal, highlighting the advantageous position of Bitcoin miners due to their power access in a constrained energy environment [3]. - IREN shares were trading at over $69, reflecting a 2% increase on the day and a remarkable 1,000% rise over the past six months [2]. Industry Trends - The deal between IREN and Microsoft is part of a broader trend where Bitcoin miners are leveraging their infrastructure to meet the growing demand for AI, as seen with Cipher Mining's $5.5 billion lease agreement with Amazon Web Services [4][5]. - Google has increased its investment in Bitcoin miner Terawulf to $3.2 billion, further illustrating the intersection of the crypto mining and AI industries [5]. Market Sentiment - Despite the optimism surrounding Bitcoin miners' pivot to AI, experts caution that the energy requirements for AI operations are significantly higher, which may pose challenges [6].