Stock Traders Buy High Volume of Cipher Mining Call Options (NASDAQ:CIFR)

Cipher Mining Inc. (NASDAQ:CIFR) was the target of some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Traders acquired 203,658 call options on the stock. This is an increase of 26% compared to the average daily volume of 161,158 call options.

Key Stories Impacting Cipher Mining

Here are the key news stories impacting Cipher Mining this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cipher successfully placed $2.0 billion of 6.125% senior secured notes due 2031 at par, signalling institutional demand and providing immediate capital to advance the Black Pearl data‑center project. Cipher Mining Inc. Announces Pricing of $2.0 Billion of Senior Secured Notes
• Positive Sentiment: The notes are secured by first‑priority liens and are fully guaranteed by operating subsidiaries, and Cipher has committed a completion guarantee for the Black Pearl Facility — reducing execution risk for the project. Cipher Mining Inc. Announces Pricing of $2.0 Billion of Senior Secured Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: The proposed offering was initially announced Feb. 3 and expected to be market‑conditioned (closing targeted for Feb. 11), so some investors may have priced this in; the pricing confirms the company executed the plan. Cipher Mining Inc. Announces Proposed Offering of $2.00 Billion of Senior Secured Notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed heavy call buying (≈203,658 calls), indicating some traders are betting on a rebound or hedging, which contrasts with the equity sell‑off earlier in the session.
• Negative Sentiment: Equity investors reacted negatively to the large debt raise: the stock sold off after the notes pricing, reflecting concerns about higher leverage, increased fixed interest expense and potential pressure on equity upside. Here’s Why Cipher Mining Inc. (CIFR) Fell More Than Broader Market
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of heavy insider selling and large portfolio adjustments by certain institutional holders (listed in coverage) add to investor caution about near‑term equity performance and insider alignment. Cipher Mining Inc. Announces $2 Billion Private Offering of Senior Secured Notes Due 2031

Cipher Mining Stock Down 12.4%

CIFR stock opened at $14.25 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a PE ratio of -79.17 and a beta of 2.95. The company has a fifty day moving average of $17.15 and a 200-day moving average of $14.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a quick ratio of 2.49 and a current ratio of 2.49. Cipher Mining has a one year low of $1.86 and a one year high of $25.52.

Cipher Mining (NASDAQ:CIFR) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, November 3rd. The company reported ($0.01) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.08) by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $106.69 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $79.13 million. Cipher Mining had a negative net margin of 34.16% and a negative return on equity of 9.57%. As a group, analysts expect that Cipher Mining will post -0.31 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Cipher Mining

In related news, Director James E. Newsome sold 21,821 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.03, for a total transaction of $349,790.63. Following the transaction, the director owned 172,492 shares in the company, valued at $2,765,046.76. This trade represents a 11.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Holly Morrow Evans sold 15,000 shares of Cipher Mining stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.74, for a total value of $281,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 195,512 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,663,894.88. This trade represents a 7.13% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 271,023 shares of company stock worth $4,442,255. Insiders own 2.63% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Cipher Mining

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new position in Cipher Mining during the first quarter worth $9,316,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Cipher Mining by 52.4% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 4,680,219 shares of the company’s stock valued at $10,765,000 after acquiring an additional 1,610,073 shares during the period. 111 Capital purchased a new stake in shares of Cipher Mining during the 2nd quarter worth $114,000. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cipher Mining during the 2nd quarter worth $127,000. Finally, Tiptree Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Cipher Mining during the 2nd quarter worth $717,000. 12.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently commented on CIFR shares. Northland Securities set a $27.50 price target on shares of Cipher Mining in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $25.00 price objective on shares of Cipher Mining in a research note on Wednesday, November 5th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $27.00 target price on shares of Cipher Mining in a report on Monday, December 15th. Citigroup started coverage on shares of Cipher Mining in a research note on Wednesday, November 19th. They set an “outperform” rating for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their price target on Cipher Mining from $15.00 to $26.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $24.54.

Cipher Mining Company Profile

Cipher Mining Inc is a Nasdaq-listed bitcoin mining company that develops, owns and operates large-scale mining facilities across the United States. The company focuses on deploying advanced ASIC hardware and securing long-term low-cost power contracts to optimize bitcoin production. By strategically locating its sites in regions with abundant energy supply, Cipher Mining seeks to maintain a competitive cost structure and deliver efficient hashrate capacity growth.

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Cipher Mining has pursued an integrated approach encompassing site development, equipment procurement and operations management.