Options traders love this under-the-radar AI play

May 7, 2026

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Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on May 7, 2026.
NYSE

For an $18 billion market-cap company, data-center owner Iren

The company had two of the top 20 biggest options trades in the market on Thursday and a total $173 million of premium traded hands, with 73% of that in calls.

By comparison, less than a million dollars of options traded in total between data-center real-estate stocks EquinixDigital Realty TrustVanEck Semiconductor ETF

The two biggest trades of the day were part of a $36 million long strangle trade that bets on a big move in either direction. The trader bought 12,500 65-strike calls and an equal amount of 60-strike puts both expiring Sept. 18 of this year, a trade that only pays off if the stock crashes below $45 or rallies above $79, which would be an all-time high.

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IREN, 1 year

The stock’s been a retail trading favorite the past year, adding 770% as the company squared its focus onto AI customers from crypto and bitcoin mining.

Implied volatility going into earnings tonight points to a 14% swing, but traders do have a habit of overpaying for options around earnings. The average implied earnings move was 12% the past year, but the median actual move was 6%, according to data compiled by Cboe.

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