On Monday, Jefferies, a global investment banking firm, initiated coverage on Core Scientific Inc. (NASDAQ:CORZ), a company specializing in blockchain infrastructure and data center operations. The firm has given the stock a "Buy" rating and set a price target of $19.00.
The new rating is based on Core Scientific's significant transformation over the past year. The company has shifted its focus from primarily Bitcoin mining to building artificial intelligence-focused data centers. This strategic pivot has been recognized as an effective utilization of the company's extensive access to power resources.
According to Jefferies, Core Scientific's success in this transition can be attributed to both fortuitous circumstances and the company's skilled data center (DC) development team. The team's experience and preparedness for such a strategic shift were highlighted as key factors contributing to the company's current position.
The analyst from Jefferies remarked on the company's journey, acknowledging the challenges of emerging from bankruptcy and the subsequent success in repurposing its resources. The statement from the analyst reads: "CORZ's journey over the past year represents an impressive post-bankruptcy comeback story as the company leverages its significant access to power — previously earmarked for Bitcoin mining — to build AI-focused data centers."
The firm believes that while luck played a part in Core Scientific's successful transition, the company's accomplishments should be credited to its experienced development team. The team's capability to adapt and pivot towards AI data center construction has been a cornerstone of Core Scientific's strategy and recovery.
The initiation of coverage by Jefferies with a positive outlook reflects confidence in Core Scientific's future business prospects. The price target of $19.00 suggests a potential upside from the company's current market valuation.
In other recent news, Core Scientific has seen several significant developments. The company's stock have been given a Buy rating by Canaccord Genuity and B.Riley, with Canaccord raising its price target to $17.00 from the previous $16.00. Core Scientific has also secured an additional 118MW of data center power for AI hosting from CoreWeave, bringing the total power under contract to 500MW. This expanded contract is expected to generate an approximate 80% contribution-like margin for Core Scientific.
The company has also announced a substantial expansion of its high-performance computing (HPC) hosting capabilities. CoreWeave has chosen to contract an additional 120 megawatts of critical IT load at one of Core Scientific's locations, contributing approximately $2.0 billion to Core Scientific's projected cumulative revenue over a 12-year period. This brings the total potential revenue from CoreWeave's contracts to $8.7 billion.
Core Scientific has reported mining 345 bitcoins in September, adding to a total of 5,621 bitcoins mined year-to-date. The company also sold 370 bitcoins in September, generating sales proceeds of approximately $22.2 million. Denise Sterling, Core Scientific's CFO, is set to step down by May 2025, and a search for her successor has been initiated. These are the recent developments at Core Scientific.
InvestingPro Insights
Core Scientific's strategic pivot and recent performance are reflected in several key metrics from InvestingPro. The company has shown a remarkable 288.66% price total return over the past year, aligning with Jefferies' positive outlook. This strong performance is further emphasized by Core Scientific trading near its 52-week high, with its current price at 95.06% of that peak.
Despite these impressive returns, InvestingPro data reveals that Core Scientific is not yet profitable over the last twelve months, with a negative P/E ratio of -4.31. However, an InvestingPro Tip suggests that analysts predict the company will become profitable this year, potentially supporting Jefferies' bullish stance.
The company's revenue growth of 8.25% over the last twelve months and a more robust 11.18% growth in the most recent quarter indicate positive momentum in Core Scientific's new business direction. Additionally, the company's EBITDA has shown substantial growth of 517.26%, which could be attributed to its successful transition into AI-focused data centers.
For investors seeking more comprehensive analysis, InvestingPro offers 11 additional tips for Core Scientific, providing deeper insights into the company's financial health and market position.
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