Is C3.ai Stock a Buy Now? | The Motley Fool (2024)

C3.ai (AI 1.53%) posted its third-quarter earnings report on March 2. The artificial intelligence (AI) software company's revenue rose 42% year-over-year to $69.8 million, beating analysts' estimates by $2.6 million. Its adjusted net loss narrowed from $10.3 million to $7.7 million, or $0.07 per share, which also surpassed analysts' expectations by $0.19.

C3.ai's stock rose 3% the following day, even as concerns about the Russian-Ukrainian war, inflation, and surging oil prices weighed down the broader market. However, the stock remains nearly 50% below its IPO price and almost 90% below its all-time high. Should investors consider accumulating some shares of C3.ai after its latest earnings beat?

Is C3.ai Stock a Buy Now? | The Motley Fool (1)

Image source: Getty Images.

How fast is C3.ai growing?

C3.ai's AI algorithms can be plugged into a company's existing software infrastructure to optimize supply chain operations, improve employee safety, streamline spending, detect fraud, and more. It also provides its AI services as pre-built stand-alone applications.

C3.ai primarily serves large energy, industrial, and government customers. Its largest customer is the oil field services giant Baker Hughes (BKR 1.08%), which accounted for 39% of its revenue in the first nine months of fiscal 2022. Its current contract with Baker Hughes will last until fiscal 2025.

As for the rest of its customer base, C3.ai ended the third quarter with 50 "customer-entities" (entire organizations) and 218 unique customers (distinct divisions across those organizations), compared to 39 customer-entities and 120 unique customers in the prior year quarter.

C3.ai grew like a weed in fiscal 2020 (which ended in April of the calendar year), but it lost its momentum in fiscal 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic spread and disrupted the energy and industrial sectors. However, its growth accelerated over the past year as those headwinds faded:

Period

FY 2020

FY 2021

Q1 2022

Q2 2022

Q3 2022

Revenue Growth (YOY)

71%

17%

29%

41%

42%

Data source: C3.ai. YOY = Year-over-year.

C3.ai now expects its revenue to rise 38% for the full year, compared to its previous guidance for 35%-36% growth. Analysts expect its revenue to rise 31% in fiscal 2023. Based on those expectations, C3.ai's stock looks reasonably valued at less than eight times next year's sales.

For reference, Palantir (PLTR -1.56%), the data mining firm that believes it can generate at least 30% annual revenue growth through 2025, trades at 12 times this year's sales and nine times next year's sales.

Expanding gross margins and stabilizing losses

C3.ai remains unprofitable by both generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and non-GAAP measures. However, its non-GAAP gross margins have continuously expanded over the past year:

Period

FY 2020

FY 2021

Q1 2022

Q2 2022

Q3 2022

Gross Margin (Non-GAAP)

75%

76%

75%

78%

80%

Data source: C3.ai.

Those margins are in line with those of comparable industry peers like Palantir, which reported a non-GAAP gross margin of 83% in its latest quarter.

C3.ai attributes its ongoing gross margin expansion to the growth of its higher-margin subscription business and its improving scale. Those expanding margins also suggest that C3.ai has plenty of pricing power in its niche market for integrated AI algorithms and applications.

C3.ai's net loss widened by both GAAP and non-GAAP measured in the first nine months of 2022, but it narrowed both sequentially and year-over-year in the third quarter. Its costs previously spiked after it reorganized its sales teams into an independent unit to pursue big deals last July, but that decision was costly and ineffective. It reversed that decision in the second quarter, and that move seems to be stabilizing its net losses.

C3.ai still expects its non-GAAP operating loss to widen -- from $37.5 million in fiscal 2021 to $90-$94 million in fiscal 2022 -- as it it ramps up its investments and attempts to expand its customer base.

However, it also ended the third quarter with $1.02 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, so it can easily afford to rack up more losses as it expands. Its low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16 also gives it plenty of room to take on additional leverage.

Still a speculative play with lots of upside potential

C3.ai isn't a stock for queasy investors. Its customer concentration issues are still worrisome, it lacks a clear path toward profitability, and it could be disrupted by similar AI services from larger cloud service providers.

That said, the stock's low price-to-sales ratio could limit its downside potential as it gradually expands. Its low enterprise value of $1.3 billion could also make it a tempting takeover target for a bigger tech company.

In short, I think C3.ai is worth nibbling on at these levels. I was not a fan of this stock when its valuations hit irrational nosebleed levels in late 2020, but the risk-reward ratio now looks much more compelling.

Leo Sun owns C3.ai, Inc. The Motley Fool owns and recommends C3.ai, Inc. and Palantir Technologies Inc. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Is C3.ai Stock a Buy Now? | The Motley Fool (2024)

FAQs

Is C3.ai Stock a Buy Now? | The Motley Fool? ›

In short, investors should stay far away from this volatile stock -- which has been rising high on the AI hype train, not because it's generating sustainable growth.

What is the prediction for C3 AI stock? ›

On average, Wall Street analysts predict that C3ai's share price could fall to $27.00 by Jun 1, 2024. The average C3ai stock price prediction forecasts a potential downside of 27.01% from the current AI share price of $36.99.

What is the long term forecast for C3 AI? ›

The 10 analysts offering 12-month price forecasts for C3.ai Inc have a median target of 23.50, with a high estimate of 50.00 and a low estimate of 14.00. The median estimate represents a -36.43% decrease from the last price of 36.97.

What is C3 AI stock forecast for 2024? ›

Future price of the stock is predicted at 46.987154968314$ (29.727% ) after a year according to our prediction system. This means that if you invested $100 now, your current investment may be worth 129.727$ on 2024 June 09, Sunday.

What is the stock price prediction for C3 AI in 2025? ›

The next few years will be an exciting time for the machine learning industry. C3.ai should benefit from the aforementioned, multinational agreement to support AI. Plus, Wood's optimism indicates that AI has a robust future, and this bodes well for C3.ai. Therefore, I fully expect AI stock to rally to $100 by 2025.

Is C3 a buy or sell? ›

C3.ai has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 1.91, and is based on 2 buy ratings, 6 hold ratings, and 3 sell ratings.

Which AI model is best for stock prediction? ›

Which machine learning algorithm is best for stock price prediction? Based on experiments conducted in this article, LSTMs seem to be the best initial approach in solving the stock price prediction problem.

Is C3 AI Inc a good stock to buy? ›

C3.ai Inc has a Long-Term Technical rank of 99. This means that trading over the last 200 trading days has placed the company in the upper half of stocks with 1% of the market scoring higher. In the Software - Application industry which is number 73 by this metric, AI ranks better than 73% of stocks.

What is the 5 year forecast for AI stock? ›

C3.ai Inc - Class A quote is equal to 38.655 USD at 2023-06-09. Based on our forecasts, a long-term increase is expected, the "AI" stock price prognosis for 2028-06-02 is 54.177 USD. With a 5-year investment, the revenue is expected to be around +40.16%. Your current $100 investment may be up to $140.16 in 2028.

What will the AI market be worth in 2025? ›

UBS predicted that the artificial intelligence hardware and services market will hit $90 billion by 2025. It was worth around $36 billion in 2020, per IDC and Bloomberg Intelligence data.

Which stock will make me rich in 2023? ›

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What is best stock to buy in 2023? ›

We have compiled a list of the best beginner stocks to buy in 2023 which include PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).

What stock will go up the most in 2023? ›

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Progressive (PGR)+13.0%
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How much will AI be worth in 2030? ›

According to Next Move Strategy Consulting the market for artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to show strong growth in the coming decade. Its value of nearly 100 billion U.S. dollars is expected to grow twentyfold by 2030, up to nearly two trillion U.S. dollars. The AI market covers a vast amount of industries.

Does C3 AI pay dividends? ›

Historical dividend payout and yield for C3.ai (AI) since 1971. The current TTM dividend payout for C3.ai (AI) as of June 09, 2023 is $0.00. The current dividend yield for C3.ai as of June 09, 2023 is 0.00%.

What will Lithium Americas stock price be in 2025? ›

Lithium Americas Corp. Stock (LAC) Price Forecast for 2025
MonthAverageHigh
January, 202526.6026.64
February, 202526.7826.85
March, 202527.5027.51
April, 202528.5829.05
8 more rows

What is C3 stock price target? ›

Based on analyst ratings, C3ai's 12-month average price target is $26.76.

Which company uses C3 AI? ›

C3 AI Global Technology Partners

AWS services for accelerating digital transformation globally. Intel powers high-performance AI solutions. HPE offers flexibility to deploy at the Edge and in a private cloud.

Who owns C3 AI? ›

About C3 AI

Founded and led by Silicon Valley veteran entrepreneur Tom Siebel, C3 AI is managed by a proven, world-class executive team and board of directors, who are 100 percent committed to the success of our customers and the ethical application of AI.

What is the most advanced AI on the market? ›

GPT-3 was released in 2020 and is the largest and most powerful AI model to date. It has 175 billion parameters, which is more than ten times larger than its predecessor, GPT-2.

Will AI beat the stock market? ›

ChatGPT isn't going to be a stock-picking genius. Artificial intelligence is more likely to burn investors than benefit them.

Why is C3 AI struggling? ›

On the 6th of March 2023, Kerrisdale Capital made publicly known its short position on C3.ai accusing the company to have poor products based on outdated Ai technology, a poor and shrinking customer portfolio, and an underperforming business model if compared to the average software industry.

Why has C3 AI stock dropped? ›

C3.ai Stock Falls After Earnings Outlook Fails to Justify the Hype. C3.ai shares were trading sharply lower in premarket trading Thursday, the morning after the company provided a financial outlook for its April 2024 fiscal year that fell shy of Wall Street estimates.

What are the best AI stocks to invest in right now? ›

(NASDAQ:AMZN), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) are some top artificial intelligence hedge fund stock picks. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds.

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Which stocks to buy for 2025? ›

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Apr 28, 2023

Which stock will grow in 5 years? ›

12 Best Growth Stocks to Buy for the Next 5 Years
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Is AI going to take over in the future? ›

It is unlikely that AI will completely replace human programmers and write code from its own research. Therefore, software engineering and web developer jobs will be safe in the foreseeable future. However, AI is expected to dramatically change how computer scientists and software developers work.

What to expect from AI in 2023? ›

In 2023, we can expect to see further advancements in natural language processing, computer vision, and machine learning. These advancements will allow AI to understand and process information even more effectively, enabling it to make better decisions.

What is the trend of AI in 2023? ›

What is the trend in AI and machine learning in 2023? A. Terrific growth in automation across different business sectors, implementation of edge computing to improve efficiency, and computer vision are some of the topmost trends in AI and machine learning in 2023 that the market will be watching out for.

What are the safest stocks to buy in 2023? ›

For the rest of 2023, investors should consider some safe stock winners like Walmart (NYSE:WMT), Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY). Today, these stocks still have substantial competitive advantages and unique business characteristics likely to support outperformance in this cycle.

What stocks to buy for next 10 years? ›

5 Best Growth Stocks for the Next 10 Years
Growth stockYear-to-date return (as of May 10 close)
Apple Inc. (ticker: AAPL)33.8%
DexCom Inc. (DXCM)8.2%
Fortinet Inc. (FTNT)37.1%
Tesla Inc. (TSLA)36.8%
1 more row
May 11, 2023

What is the best paying dividend stock? ›

Comparison Results
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T AT&T$15.95$0.12 (-0.75%)
XRX Xerox$15.09$0.06 (-0.4%)
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5 more rows

Which stocks to buy in June 2023? ›

Market Dashboard NSE BSE
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Is it worth investing in stocks 2023? ›

After dropping more than 18% in 2022, the S&P 500 is now up around 6% year to date (as of May 4), leading some investors to wonder if it's safe to invest now. The short answer is "yes." The longer answer is, "yes, you should be investing regardless of market movements, if you have the means."

What is the best performing stock of all time? ›

The Best Performing Stocks in History
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  • Alphabet. (NASDAQ:GOOG) ...
  • Gilead Sciences. (NASDAQ: GILD) ...
  • Microsoft. (NASDAQ: MSFT)

What is the fastest growing stock? ›

Fastest-Growing Stocks
Price ($)Revenue Growth Latest Quarter (%)
Mirati Therapeutics Inc. (MRTX)38.46911
Rivian Automotive Inc. (RIVN)15.14596
Apollo Global Management Inc. (APO)65.42515
2 more rows
Jun 1, 2023

What is the best stock to make money fast? ›

In addition to Amgen, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMGN), other Fast Money stocks that are widely held by elite hedge funds include Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH), and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT).

What will AI do in 10 years? ›

In the next 10 years, it is predicted that advancements in AI technology will continue to allow for a more efficient way of life. Through machine learning algorithms and deep neural networks, AI can also learn how to solve complex problems faster than humans ever could.

Does AI have a future? ›

The future of artificial intelligence appears bright with continued advancements in technology. Investment in artificial intelligence reached $93.5 billion in 2021, according to Statista. The current trend for neural networks to grow larger will likely continue into the near future as more functionality is required.

What is the future prediction of AI? ›

What is the future of AI? A. The future of AI is promising, with continuous advancements in machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. AI will enhance various industries and transform the way we live and work.

How many shares does C3 AI have? ›

Share Statistics

C3.ai has 113.94 million shares outstanding. The number of shares has increased by 5.37% in one year.

What does C3 AI Inc do? ›

C3.ai, Inc. (C3.ai) is an enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) software company. The Company provides software-as-a-service (SaaS) application that enables deployment of enterprise-scale AI applications. C3.ai provide two families of software solutions: C3 AI Suite and C3 AI applications.

Is C3 AI a good company to work for? ›

Is C3 AI a good company to work for? C3 AI has an overall rating of 3.9 out of 5, based on over 612 reviews left anonymously by employees. 72% of employees would recommend working at C3 AI to a friend and 67% have a positive outlook for the business.

What is the best lithium stock to invest in? ›

The 8 Best Lithium Stocks of June 2023
Stock (ticker)Market Cap
Lithium Americas Corp. (LAC)$3 billion
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Pilbara Minerals Limited (PILBF)$9 billion
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Are lithium stocks a good buy? ›

Are lithium shares a good investment? While lithium share prices can be volatile due to supply-demand issues that impact the value of lithium as a commodity, the lithium sector does have good long-term growth prospects as the demand for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) continues to increase.

Is lithium going to boom? ›

EV production is ramping up globally. As a result, the World Economic Forum has predicted we'll need three million tonnes of lithium globally by 2030. That's a lot of lithium - and a lot of opportunity for the burgeoning industry.

What do analysts predict about AI in 2023? ›

This implementation is yielding positive results in terms of effectiveness and efficiency and is allowing organizations to transform fundamental functions. We predict that in 2023, AI adoption within enterprises will continue to expand and be more creative, trustworthy, and optimized.

Is AI really the future? ›

If it feels like the future of AI is a rapidly changing landscape, that's because the present innovations in the field of artificial intelligence are accelerating at such a blazing-fast pace that it's tough to keep up. Indeed, artificial intelligence is shaping the future of humanity across nearly every industry.

Where will AI be in 2040? ›

By 2040, AI applications, in combination with other technologies, will benefit almost every aspect of life, including improved healthcare, safer and more efficient transportation, personalized education, improved software for everyday tasks, and increased agricultural crop yields.

What is the promising future of AI? ›

The future of artificial intelligence appears bright with continued advancements in technology. Investment in artificial intelligence reached $93.5 billion in 2021, according to Statista. The current trend for neural networks to grow larger will likely continue into the near future as more functionality is required.

What will artificial intelligence be like in 20 years? ›

In twenty years, nearly all data will become digitized, making it possible to use AI for decision-making and optimization. AI and automation will replace most blue-collar work and “make” products for minimal marginal cost. Robots and AI will take over the manufacturing, delivery, design and marketing of most goods.

What jobs will AI replace by 2025? ›

The Top 10 Jobs Most Likely to Be Replaced by AI
  • Entry-level Admin Roles.
  • Data Entry Clerks.
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May 22, 2023

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