Analyst revamps Bitcoin miner’s stock target by 65% after Microsoft deal

Core Insights - IREN Limited signed a significant $9.7 billion GPU cloud services contract with Microsoft, marking a strategic partnership that emphasizes IREN's capabilities in AI cloud infrastructure [1][2] - Following the announcement, IREN's stock price increased by over 5%, reaching $71.35 [2] - Analysts have responded positively, with multiple firms raising their price targets for IREN's stock significantly, indicating strong market confidence in the company's future [3] Company Overview - IREN Limited, founded in 2019, initially focused on Bitcoin mining, which involves solving complex cryptographic functions to secure the blockchain network [4] - The company has strategically shifted towards AI cloud services in response to declining rewards from Bitcoin mining, although leadership asserts this has always been part of their strategy [5] Analyst Reactions - Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brett Knoblauch raised IREN's price target from $100 to $142, a 42% increase, maintaining an "outperform" rating [3] - Bernstein analyst Gautam Chhugani increased the price target from $75 to $125, representing a more than 65% hike, also reiterating an "outperform" rating [3] - Roth Capital analyst Darren Aftahi raised the price target from $82 to $94, reflecting positive sentiment in the market [3]