Here’s why IREN, CoreWeave, and Nebius stocks are in free fall

Top neocloud stocks are in a freefall, erasing billions of dollars in value as concerns about AI spending emerge. 

IREN stock dropped to $33.61, its lowest level since April 7, and 52% below its highest point this year. Its valuation has fallen from $24 billion to $12.4 billion.

CoreWeave, the biggest player in the industry, also plunged to $72 from the all-time high of $186. Its market cap has also dropped from $87 billion to $39 billion.

Similarly, Nebius Group stock fell from $298 to $170. Other companies in the industry, including Bitcoin miners like MARA, Riot Platforms, and Cipher, have plunged in the past few months.

CoreWeave, Nebius, and IREN stocks | Source: TradingView

IREN, CoreWeave, and Nebius have dropped as AI jitters remain

One reason why neocloud companies have dropped is that there are jitters about the AI industry. These jitters continued this week even after the recent earnings by big-tech companies like TSMC, Micron, and Samsung showed that their growth was accelerating.

As a result, most companies in the industry have plunged in the past few weeks. In Japan, Kioxia stock has plunged by over 50% from its highest point this year. Other companies like Softbank, AMD, SK Hynix, and SanDisk have all dropped. 

These jitters are likely happening as investors wait for earnings from big-tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Google. These companies will likely outline their spending priorities. And with their stocks underperforming the market this year, there is a risk that some will scale back their ambitions.

Rising competition in the neocloud industry

IREN, CoreWeave, and Nebius stocks have also plunged as competition in the industry jumps. 

SpaceX, which has a market capitalization of over $1.8 trillion, has already inked deals with companies like Google, Anthropic, and Reflection AI. Google will pay it over $920 million a month, while Anthropic and Reflection will pay it $1.25 billion and $150 million a month.

In addition to SpaceX, there are reports that Meta Platforms is also entering the space, a move that will see it sell its extra capacity to other companies in the hyperscaler industry.

More companies like Riot Platforms, Cipher Mining, and MARA have all moved to the industry. Their entry will likely lead to more demand for chips and memory products, which will drive prices higher.

Soaring debt and dilution fears

Nebius, CoreWeave, and Nebius, which Nvidia invested in, are also struggling amid dilution fears. Recent data shows that these companies have raised billions of dollars in debt, and may turn to selling shares in the past few months.

CoreWeave’s short-term debt has jumped to $7.5 billion, while its long-term debt soared to $17.3 billion. Nebius's long-term debt soared to $8.4 billion from $4.1 billion in December last year. IREN’s debt has jumped to over $3.6 billion this year. 

Therefore, the companies will likely continue spending substantial sums of money. They will also likely dilute their shareholders by selling shares. These fears explain why investors are shorting their stocks. Seeking Alpha data shows that IREN has a short interest of 21.27%, while CoreWeave has 18% and Nebius has 27%.