TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) Shares Decline as AI Leasing Drives 71% of Turnover

TeraWulf (NASDAQ:WULF) Shares Decline as AI Leasing Drives 71% of Turnover

NEW YORK, August 7, 2026, 14:06 EDT — U.S. markets have opened.

  • TeraWulf shares were at $16.82, falling 4.5%. The stock was trading 10.9% lower than its closing price before its earnings release.
  • HPC lease revenue increased by 52% over the prior quarter, accounting for 71% of overall revenue.
  • Just 12.2% of 839 contracted critical IT megawatts are online, with the rest awaiting buildout and deployment.

TeraWulf Inc. shares dropped 4.5% to $16.82 on Friday afternoon. The price was 10.9% lower than its close on August 4, prior to the results.

Stock chart for NASDAQ:WULF

The drop occurred even as reported revenue showed a notable change. HPC lease sales increased by 52% quarter-on-quarter and accounted for 71% of revenue in the second quarter.

According to company data, new HPC revenue offset 91.8% of digital-asset revenue losses compared with the previous year. Overall, total revenue declined by 6%.

TeraWulf’s stated revenue and data from its quarterly earnings call form the basis for the comparison.

Revenue metricQ2 2025Q1 2026Q2 2026Q2 year-on-year change
Digital-asset revenue$47.6 mln$13.0 mln$12.8 mln-73.1%
HPC lease revenue$21.0 mln$31.9 mlnNew revenue stream
Total revenue$47.6 mln$34.0 mln$44.8 mln-6.0%
HPC share of revenue0%62%71%+71 percentage points
HPC replacement of lost mining revenue91.8%Calculated

This is the challenge for investors. The transition is underway, though it has not delivered year-on-year growth so far.

Second-quarter revenue came in below the consensus estimate of about $46 million. The company posted a loss per share of $1.94, compared with an anticipated loss of $0.24. The bulk of the $939.9 million net loss was due to a warrant fair-value charge totaling $755.7 million.

Operating performance showed mixed results. The HPC division reported a margin of 28%. According to management, the adjusted margin came to 80% once fit-out, pre-revenue and development costs were removed. The company’s long-term goal remains near 85%.

Company statements reveal the division between operating and development. The percentages listed are based on disclosed megawatt figures.

Contracted capacity stageCritical IT loadShare of 839 MWExpected timing
Operations at Lake Mariner102 MW12.2%Earning revenue
Lake Mariner in construction336 MW40.0%Staggered delivery in H2 2026 and start of 2027
Anthropic campus lease secured401 MW47.8%First delivery in H2 2027; complete by early 2028
Total839 MW100%

Just 12.2% of that capacity is currently in use. This generates significant revenue leverage, but focuses value on upcoming delivery timetables.

Lake Mariner’s cost per megawatt climbed to $9.1 million, up from the $8.6 million initially financed, marking a 5.8% rise. The figure still aligns with TeraWulf’s guidance range of $8 million to $10 million. CB4’s first hall is anticipated to commence rent payments in late September, while CB5 is scheduled to start energizing in early January.

Chief financial officer Patrick Fleury stated the profile was “increasingly driven by long-term, contracted HPC revenue.” TeraWulf finished June holding around $3 billion in cash and restricted cash. The company also anticipates approximately $530 million from the divestment of its Abernathy joint-venture stake. Investing.com

On Friday, the peer group showed mixed performance. TeraWulf trailed behind IREN and Core Scientific, aligning more with mining-focused firms. The most recent quotes were recorded at approximately 13:51 EDT.

CompanyShare priceFriday changeMarket value
TeraWulf Inc. $16.81-4.60%$8.17 bln
IREN Ltd. $39.34+3.72%$13.14 bln
Core Scientific Inc. $21.15+0.45%$6.88 bln
CleanSpark Inc. $12.32-3.37%$2.81 bln
MARA Holdings Inc. $10.10-5.21%$3.86 bln
Riot Platforms Inc. $20.67-2.55%$7.19 bln

Investor sentiment on Wall Street stayed positive following the report. The recommendations listed suggest significant potential gains, but all hinge strongly on upcoming delivery performance.

Analyst recommendationsDateRatingPrice targetImplied upside from $16.82
BernsteinAugust 6Outperform$36114%
NeedhamAugust 6Buy$3396%
Rosenblatt SecuritiesAugust 6Buy$3078%
WSJ consensusAugust 7Buy$36 median114%

According to the WSJ consensus, there were 19 Buy ratings and one Overweight, with no Hold or Sell recommendations given. The mean price target stood at $37.63.

Bernstein analysts, led by Gautam Chhugani, project that 102 operational megawatts generate roughly $180 million in annual recurring revenue. The team anticipates all 839 contracted MW to be online by the first half of 2028. Bernstein, however, lifted its estimated development costs to $10 million-$12 million per MW and identified customer concentration as the principal downside risk.

The next test of operations is scheduled for next week. Management anticipates commissioning CB4 at Level 3 around mid-August, with rental commencement slated for late September.

Risks: In the second quarter, HPC revenue was generated from just two clients. The 401 MW Anthropic lease was not yet active. Important risks continue to include construction setbacks, increased expenses, and possible dilution from 73.6 million warrants granted to Google, part of Alphabet Inc. . These warrants represent roughly 14.7% of shares outstanding as of June.

Revenue now reflects the shift. The 11% share drop after results indicates investors are looking for realised operating profit, not just contracted megawatts.

TS2 TECH • EXTENDED COVERAGE

Further analysis

Has TeraWulf's shift towards AI achieved profitability at scale?
HPC leasing accounted for $31.9 million, representing 71% of revenue for the quarter, and delivered $9.0 million in segment profit. Overall revenue declined by 6% due to a 73% reduction in mining revenue. The company’s adjusted EBITDA, as defined by management, was still negative at $18.3 million for the quarter. The net loss of $940.8 million reflected a $755.7 million warrant revaluation. The business shift is underway, but consolidated profit has yet to increase.
Is TeraWulf positioned to achieve its upcoming delivery targets?
By early July, Lake Mariner’s lease revenue came from 102 MW of generation. An additional 336 MW is still being built at CB-4 and CB-5 sites. Rent for CB-4 is projected to start in the second half of 2026, while CB-5 delivery is anticipated to begin in early 2027. Construction costs are estimated between $8 million and $10 million for each critical IT MW. The completion of CB-3 also triggered $600 million in credit support from Google.
At what point does the $19 billion Anthropic lease begin to be reflected in reported revenue?
Rent will start only after delivery of each leased phase. Initial capacity is projected for late 2027, with full 401 MW expected by early 2028. The 20-year agreement is valued at approximately $19 billion in total revenue, equating to an average of $950 million annually before deducting project expenses. This does not represent a profit estimate, but payment obligations are expected to have investment-grade credit backing.
Is TeraWulf able to finance expansion without further dilution?
Cash and restricted cash stood near $3.0 billion as of June 30. Investing outflows totaled $1.61 billion for the first half. Equity offerings generated $1.20 billion over the same timeframe. The April deal issued 54.5 million shares at $19 each. WULF was down 11.4% from that price at $16.83 as of 17:52 UTC. The Abernathy transaction delivers approximately $530 million in staged payments. Liquidity remains strong, though dilution cannot be ruled out.
Is Lake Mariner's expansion at risk due to New York’s moratorium?
The order temporarily halts incomplete state permit applications for data centers with a capacity of 50 MW or more. It does not apply to local permits or applications that have already been marked complete. TeraWulf maintains its projection for 336 MW of contracted builds through early 2027. According to company guidance, ongoing construction plans appear unaffected. However, any potential New York expansions needing new state permits remain in doubt.
Marcin Frąckiewicz

Marcin Frąckiewicz is the founder and CEO of TS2 Space, a satellite communications company serving customers around the world. A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), he has more than two decades of experience in telecommunications, satellite services and technology ventures. He writes about satellite communications, space technology, artificial intelligence and the stock market, with a particular focus on technology companies, semiconductors, emerging industries and the trends shaping global innovation. Follow Marcin Frąckiewicz on Google News, Facebook. or Linkedin.

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