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C3ai (AI)
NYSE:AI
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C3ai (AI) AI Stock Analysis

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AI

C3ai

(NYSE:AI)

Rating:45Neutral
Price Target:
$15.00
▼(-2.98% Downside)
C3ai's overall stock score is primarily impacted by its financial performance and technical analysis. The company faces significant profitability challenges and bearish technical indicators. Valuation concerns further weigh on the score, with a negative P/E ratio and no dividend yield. While strategic partnerships and a strong cash position are positives, they are overshadowed by ongoing losses and operational challenges.
Positive Factors
Growth Opportunities
The company appears to be leaning into the Department of Defense opportunity, which is seen as the most compelling growth area for C3.ai.
Growth Potential
There is potential for C3.Ai to return to 15-20% growth in the next fiscal year, which could improve its trading multiple.
Industry Position
C3.ai is recognized as a leader in the AI software industry with a strong track record of innovation.
Negative Factors
Revenue Miss
The shortfall in Revenue more than doubles the company's projected Non-GAAP Operating Loss to ($57.8 Million) for an Operating Margin of (82.2%) at the midpoint.
Revenue Outlook
C3.Ai has provided a weaker revenue outlook for FY26, with expected growth significantly below investor expectations.
Sales Execution
Management attributed the poor results to health issues for Chairman & CEO Tom Siebel, which prevented more active participation in the sales process.

C3ai (AI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

C3ai Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionC3.ai, Inc. operates as an enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) software company in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. It provides C3 AI application platform, an application development and runtime environment that enables customers to design, develop, and deploy enterprise AI applications; C3 AI Ex Machina to for analysis-ready data; C3 AI CRM, an industry specific customer relationship management solution; and C3 AI Data Vision that visualizes, understands, and leverages the relationships between data entities. It also offers C3 AI applications, including C3 AI Inventory Optimization, a solution to optimize raw material, in-process, and finished goods inventory levels; C3 AI Supply Network Risk, which provides visibility into risks of disruption throughout the supply chain operations; C3 AI Customer Churn Management, which enables account executives and relationship managers to monitor customer satisfaction, as well as to prevent customer churn with AI-based and human-interpretable predictions and warning; C3 AI Production Schedule Optimization, a solution for scheduling production; C3 AI Predictive Maintenance, which provides insight into asset risk to maintenance planners and equipment operators; C3 AI Fraud Detection solution that identify revenue leakage or maintenance and safety issues; and C3 AI Energy Management solution. In addition, it offers integrated turnkey enterprise AI applications for oil and gas, chemicals, utilities, manufacturing, financial services, defense, intelligence, aerospace, healthcare, and telecommunications market segments. It has strategic partnerships with Baker Hughes in the areas of oil and gas market; FIS in the areas of financial services market; Raytheon; and AWS, Intel, Google, and Microsoft. The company was formerly known as C3 IoT, Inc. and changed its name to C3.ai, Inc. in June 2019. C3.ai, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California.
How the Company Makes MoneyC3.ai generates revenue primarily through a subscription-based model, where customers pay for access to its AI software and services. The company offers various pricing tiers based on the scale and complexity of the solutions provided, allowing organizations to tailor their AI applications to specific business needs. Key revenue streams include licensing fees, consulting services, and support contracts. Additionally, C3.ai has formed strategic partnerships with major technology companies, such as Microsoft, which enhance its market reach and bolster revenue through collaborative projects and integrated solutions. These partnerships also facilitate access to new customer bases and joint marketing efforts, further contributing to the company's earnings.

C3ai Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Revenue by Segment
Revenue by Segment
Breaks down income by business unit, providing insights into which areas are contributing most to growth and where strategic focus might be needed.
Chart InsightsC3.ai's subscription revenue has shown consistent growth, recently reaching $87.3 million, reflecting a 9% increase. This aligns with the company's strategic focus on expanding its partner ecosystem, which has significantly boosted agreements. The renewal of the Baker Hughes partnership underscores strong ties in the oil and gas sector, contributing to robust revenue growth. However, the broader revenue guidance for FY 2026 suggests caution due to geopolitical and economic uncertainties, despite the company's solid financial position and positive cash flow.
Data provided by:Main Street Data

C3ai Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Sep 03, 2025
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Dec 03, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Negative
The earnings call highlighted significant challenges, including a notable decline in revenue and ongoing losses. Despite the restructuring and introduction of new strategic programs, these issues overshadowed the positive aspects such as strong customer partnerships and financial stability.
Q1-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Strategic Customer Wins
C3.ai, Inc. secured significant partnerships, including a multiyear agreement with Nucor, a company-wide AI transformation at Comerica, and an expanded partnership with HII to enhance US Navy fleet readiness.
Introduction of Strategic Integrator Program
C3.ai introduced a software OEM program to license the C3 Agentic AI platform, receiving positive reception from OEMs and system integrators.
Strong Cash Position
C3.ai closed the quarter with $711.9 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, indicating strong financial stability.
New Leadership and Organizational Restructuring
Appointment of Stephen Ehigian as CEO and restructuring of the sales and service organizations to drive growth and customer satisfaction.
Negative Updates
Significant Revenue Decline
Total revenue for the quarter was $70.3 million, a decrease of 19% year-over-year.
Operating and Net Losses
Non-GAAP operating loss was $57.8 million, and non-GAAP net loss was $49.8 million for the quarter.
Negative Free Cash Flow
Free cash flow for the quarter was negative $34.3 million.
Guidance Withdrawal
C3.ai withdrew previous guidance due to restructuring and leadership changes.
Sales Execution Challenges
Challenges were attributed to poor sales execution and resource coordination, affecting overall performance.
Company Guidance
During the recent earnings call for C3.ai, Inc., the company provided guidance for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, projecting revenue between $72 million to $80 million and a non-GAAP operating loss ranging from $49.5 million to $57.5 million. The call highlighted that the first quarter's total revenue was $70.3 million, a 19% decrease year-over-year, with subscription revenue accounting for $60.3 million, or 86% of the total. Despite a non-GAAP gross profit of $36.3 million, the company reported a non-GAAP net loss of $49.8 million and free cash flow of negative $34.3 million. The company noted a decline in non-GAAP gross margin to 52%, primarily due to a higher mix of initial production deployment costs and lower economies of scale. C3.ai plans to update its guidance for the third quarter and full year upon announcing second quarter results, citing recent organizational changes as a reason for withdrawing previous full-year guidance.

C3ai Financial Statement Overview

Summary
C3ai shows moderate revenue growth and a strong balance sheet with low leverage. However, significant profitability challenges persist, with negative margins and cash flow issues. Despite improvements in free cash flow, ongoing losses and negative returns on equity hinder overall financial health.
Income Statement
45
Neutral
C3ai has shown a moderate revenue growth rate of 6.03% in the latest year, indicating some positive momentum. However, the company is struggling with profitability, as evidenced by negative net profit margins (-74.21%) and EBIT margins (-83.39%). The gross profit margin is relatively healthy at 60.62%, but the persistent losses suggest challenges in managing operating expenses.
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
The company maintains a low debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, indicating conservative leverage and a strong equity position. However, the return on equity is negative (-34.44%), reflecting ongoing losses and inefficiencies in generating returns for shareholders. The equity ratio stands at a solid level, suggesting financial stability despite profitability issues.
Cash Flow
50
Neutral
C3ai's free cash flow has improved by 23.57%, but the company still faces negative operating cash flow, which is a concern for liquidity. The free cash flow to net income ratio is positive at 1.07, indicating that the company is generating cash relative to its net losses, but the operating cash flow coverage ratio remains negative, highlighting ongoing cash flow challenges.
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue372.10M389.06M310.58M266.80M252.76M183.22M
Gross Profit210.14M235.86M178.56M180.46M189.05M138.70M
EBITDA-362.21M-311.82M-306.92M-284.40M-190.93M-55.96M
Net Income-342.64M-288.70M-279.70M-268.84M-192.06M-55.70M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets968.74M1.03B1.04B1.10B1.17B1.20B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments711.90M742.69M750.37M730.98M960.16M1.09B
Total Debt0.0060.29M3.23M2.34M3.61M5.63M
Total Liabilities169.91M187.58M164.87M173.36M181.41M135.30M
Stockholders Equity798.82M838.30M873.35M929.66M989.48M1.06B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-85.86M-44.45M-90.37M-187.21M-90.75M-39.18M
Operating Cash Flow-82.98M-41.41M-62.36M-115.69M-86.46M-37.55M
Investing Cash Flow6.78M16.40M-66.61M59.95M317.01M-767.15M
Financing Cash Flow23.33M22.22M11.29M621.00K5.71M887.36M

C3ai Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price15.46
Price Trends
50DMA
22.52
Negative
100DMA
22.85
Negative
200DMA
26.56
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-1.78
Negative
RSI
26.56
Positive
STOCH
27.79
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For AI, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 15.46 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 17.70, below the 50-day MA of 22.52, and below the 200-day MA of 26.56, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -1.78 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 26.56 is Positive, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 27.79 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for AI.

C3ai Risk Analysis

C3ai disclosed 61 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. C3ai reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

C3ai Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
79
Outperform
$7.82B14.8921.86%1.43%7.37%-14.64%
75
Outperform
$9.73B24.8211.36%9.73%-0.29%
75
Outperform
$70.59B21.8430.46%3.05%4.52%-0.22%
74
Outperform
$35.06B14.5816.69%1.71%6.34%12.16%
70
Outperform
$159.56B20.3927.27%2.34%6.21%14.87%
61
Neutral
$35.51B8.11-10.49%1.89%8.55%-8.72%
45
Neutral
$2.26B-40.94%14.34%-13.27%
* Technology Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
AI
C3ai
15.46
-5.84
-27.42%
ACN
Accenture
252.94
-80.76
-24.20%
CTSH
Cognizant
71.45
-3.22
-4.31%
EPAM
Epam Systems
168.09
-36.73
-17.93%
G
Genpact
44.97
7.20
19.06%
INFY
Infosys
16.59
-5.47
-24.80%

C3ai Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
C3.ai Initiates Search for New CEO Amid Leadership Change
Neutral
Jul 24, 2025

On July 21, 2025, C3.ai announced the initiation of a search for a new Chief Executive Officer to succeed Thomas M. Siebel, who will transition to the role of Executive Chairman. This decision follows Mr. Siebel’s diagnosis with an autoimmune disease, which has led to significant visual impairment. The move aims to ensure C3.ai’s continued growth and success, with Mr. Siebel remaining engaged until a successor is appointed.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Sep 05, 2025