(Reuters) -Vercel, the U.S.-based cloud platform that helps developers build and quickly deploy scalable websites, said on Tuesday it had raised $300 million in an oversubscribed Series F round, valuing the startup at $9.3 billion. The round was co-led by venture capital firm Accel and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, with new investors including BlackRock, StepStone and Khosla Ventures. Growing reliance on AI for critical workflows is driving both investor capital into AI infrastructure and demand f ...

Core Insights - IREN Limited's shares have surged 207.5% year to date, significantly outperforming the Zacks Finance sector's return of 12% and the Zacks Financial Miscellaneous Services industry's return of 3.3% [1][8] - The company has shown strong revenue growth, particularly in bitcoin mining and AI Cloud services, indicating robust operational performance [2][3] Financial Performance - IREN's revenues increased by 29.4% sequentially to $187.3 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, with bitcoin revenues rising 27.7% sequentially to $180.3 million [2][8] - The company mined 1,825 bitcoins in the fourth quarter, achieving an average revenue of $98.8 per bitcoin mined [2] - AI Cloud services revenues nearly doubled to $7 million in the fourth quarter, up from $3.6 million in the previous quarter [3][8] Growth Prospects - IREN is on track to achieve $1.25 billion in annualized revenues by December 2025, with approximately $1 billion from bitcoin mining and $200-$250 million from AI Cloud [12] - The company plans to scale its GPU capacity from 1.9k to 10.9k in the coming months, including various models from NVIDIA [12][13] - IREN has secured financing for GPU purchases and is expanding its data center capabilities, including a new liquid-cooled data center [15][14] Market Position - IREN Limited is recognized as one of the world's largest and lowest-cost bitcoin miners, achieving a 50 EH/s installed hashrate target [11] - The company operates 810 MW of data centers and has contracted grid-connected power of 2,910 MW, reflecting over 35% growth [14] Valuation and Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings is 18 cents, down 28% over the past 30 days, with revenues expected at $236.7 million [16] - For fiscal 2026, the earnings estimate is $1.08 per share, down 6.1% over the past 30 days, with revenues projected to increase by 120.9% from fiscal 2024 [17] - IREN's valuation appears stretched, trading at a forward price/book ratio of 4.29X compared to the industry's 3.59X [18]

Core Insights - IREN Limited is expected to release its fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results on August 28, with earnings estimated at 17 cents per share and revenues projected at $193.8 million [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - IREN has seen a 24% year-over-year increase in bitcoin mining revenues, reaching $141.2 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, with 1,514 bitcoins mined compared to 1,347 in the previous quarter [2] - Monthly revenues from bitcoin mining for April, May, and June were reported at $50.1 million, $64.7 million, and $65.5 million respectively, with bitcoin pricing realizations increasing significantly [3] - Hardware profit increased to $49.2 million in June, up from $47.8 million in May and $36 million in April, indicating strong top-line growth and margin expansion [5] Group 2: Operational Highlights - IREN achieved a 326% year-over-year growth in hashrate, reaching its target of 50 EH/s in June, which supports an annualized hardware profit of approximately $830 million [4][8] - The company is expanding its GPU capacity with new NVIDIA Blackwell chips and the Horizon 1 data center, which is designed for AI and high-performance computing workloads [14][8] - IREN operates 660 MW of data centers and plans to expand to 910 MW by 2025, with significant projects like Sweetwater 1 and Sweetwater 2 set to energize in 2026 and 2027 respectively [13][14] Group 3: Market Position and Valuation - IREN's shares have appreciated 134.1% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Finance sector's return of 11.8% and its close peers [6] - The company is currently trading at a premium valuation, with a forward 12-month price/cash flow ratio of 81.93X, significantly higher than the industry average of 26.32X [10] - Despite strong growth prospects, IREN faces stiff competition from companies like Strategy and CleanSpark in the bitcoin mining market [18][19]

Core Insights - IREN Limited is expanding its GPU fleet by purchasing an additional 4,200 Blackwell B200 GPUs from NVIDIA, increasing its total to approximately 8,500 GPUs [1][10] - The Blackwell architecture provides significant improvements in AI compute performance and energy efficiency, allowing IREN to offer next-generation compute capabilities in a supply-constrained market [2] - IREN Limited is one of the largest and lowest-cost Bitcoin miners, achieving a 326% year-over-year hashrate growth in Q3 FY25, with an installed hashrate target of 50 EH/s [3] - AI Cloud services revenues for IREN surged 33% year-over-year to $3.6 million in Q3 FY25, indicating strong growth in this segment [4][10] - IREN faces strong competition in the Bitcoin mining market from companies like Strategy and CleanSpark [5] Financial Performance - IREN's hardware profit increased by 28.7% month-over-month to $63.3 million in July, with an annualized hardware profit of approximately $830 million [3] - The average revenue per Bitcoin for CleanSpark was $99,000, a 50% increase year-over-year, while IREN's cost structure remains competitive [7] - IREN's stock has appreciated 135.5% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the broader Zacks Finance sector and the Zacks Financial Miscellaneous Services industry [8] Valuation Metrics - IREN's stock is trading at a forward 12-month price/cash flow ratio of 82.39X, compared to the industry average of 26.72X, indicating a premium valuation [13] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for IREN's 2025 earnings is 14 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, following a loss of 29 cents per share in the same quarter last year [14]

Core Insights - IREN Limited has experienced a significant increase in its stock price, outperforming both the Zacks Finance sector and the Zacks Financial Miscellaneous Services industry [1][4] - The company is benefiting from a surge in bitcoin mining revenues and AI Cloud services, indicating strong growth potential [2][3][9] Bitcoin Mining Performance - Bitcoin mining revenues increased by 24% year over year, reaching $141.2 million in Q3 fiscal 2025, with the company mining 1,514 bitcoins compared to 1,347 in the previous quarter [2][9] - July revenues from bitcoin mining surged by 27.6% month over month to $83.6 million, with 728 bitcoins mined in July compared to 620 in June [2] AI Cloud Services Growth - AI Cloud revenues rose by 33% year over year to $3.6 million in Q3 fiscal 2025, supported by GPU expansion and new data centers [3][9] - The company is strategically pivoting towards higher-value services with the announcement of Horizon 1, a 50MW liquid-cooled data center designed for AI workloads [16] Infrastructure Expansion - IREN achieved a 326% year-over-year hashrate growth in Q3 fiscal 2025, reaching a target of 50 EH/s, which can generate approximately $830 million in annualized hardware profit [12] - A binding 600MW grid connection agreement for the Sweetwater 2 project increases the company's total secured power to 2.75GW, enhancing its competitive position [13][14] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Q4 fiscal 2025 earnings is 17 cents per share, with revenues expected to be $193.8 million [20] - For fiscal 2025, the earnings estimate is 14 cents per share, with revenues projected to increase by 173.3% from fiscal 2024 [21] Valuation Concerns - IREN shares are considered overvalued, with a forward Price/Cash Flow ratio of 70.42X compared to the industry's 21.64X, indicating a premium valuation [22] - Despite strong growth prospects, modest earnings growth and stretched valuation present risks for investors [25]

Core Viewpoint - IREN Limited is expected to report its third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 14, with a consensus estimate of 17 cents per share, a decrease from the previous estimate, and projected revenues of $155.69 million, indicating a significant year-over-year improvement of 186.45% [1][2]. Group 1: Financial Performance Expectations - The fiscal third-quarter performance is anticipated to benefit from increased bitcoin revenues, with reported monthly revenues of $52 million, $43.9 million, and $45.3 million for January, February, and March respectively [3]. - However, the revenue per Bitcoin mined has shown a decline, with March's revenue at $85,012, down from $95,570 in February and $99,789 in January, which may pressure both topline and margins for the upcoming quarter [4]. Group 2: Additional Revenue Streams - AI Cloud services revenues have shown a gradual increase, with $0.8 million in January, $1.2 million in February, and $1.6 million in March [5]. Group 3: Earnings Expectations and Model Insights - According to the Zacks model, IREN Limited currently has an Earnings ESP of -40.00% and a Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), indicating a lower likelihood of an earnings beat compared to other companies [6].

Core Viewpoint - Baidu is at a pivotal point as it transitions from a search engine leader to an AI-focused company, facing stock performance challenges despite advancements in AI and autonomous driving technologies [1][2][10]. Group 1: Company Overview - Baidu, often compared to Google, has seen its stock decline approximately 15% over the past year, despite significant investments in AI technology and autonomous driving [1][2]. - The company has transformed into an AI powerhouse, with its AI Cloud division leading the market in China for five consecutive years [2][3]. - Baidu's Ernie large language models are competing globally, processing billions of API calls daily, while its Apollo Go unit has achieved significant milestones in autonomous driving [3][10]. Group 2: Investment Insights - Cathie Wood's ARK Invest recently purchased around $12 million in Baidu shares, signaling renewed confidence in the company's potential despite previous reductions in holdings due to regulatory concerns [4][5][6]. - Analysts have a consensus rating of Hold for Baidu, with an average price target of $111.25, indicating a potential upside of over 21% from the current price [9][10]. - Baidu's low P/E ratio of around 10 suggests it may be undervalued compared to its growth initiatives, with a forward P/E ratio of approximately 12.5 indicating expected earnings growth [8][10]. Group 3: Challenges and Risks - The company faces challenges such as regulatory uncertainty in China, competition, and a weak online advertising market, which could impact its growth trajectory [11][13]. - Significant investments are required for AI and autonomous driving to become profitable, alongside macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical tensions that pose risks [11][13].