C3.ai, Inc. (AI)
C3.ai is a software company that builds ready-to-use artificial intelligence tools for large businesses to help them manage data and predict future trends.
Is C3.ai, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Operates in the high-growth artificial intelligence sector. Worth weighing: Currently losing significant amounts of money.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does C3.ai, Inc. do?
C3.ai provides a platform that allows big companies to deploy complex AI applications without having to build them from scratch. Subscription fees, charged to these organisations for access to and use of the software, are where the money comes from. It comes down to whether they can turn their high-tech ideas into actual profit, as they are currently spending much more than they are bringing in.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on growth.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- !Revenue slipped about 52% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Value screens high
- Quality screens low
- Growth screens low
- Momentum screens low
- Income screens low
Does C3.ai, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - C3.ai, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does C3.ai, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $575.45M in cash against about $58.68M of debt - so it has net cash of about $516.77M. More cash than debt is a cushion: it does not need to borrow just to cover what it owes.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do C3.ai, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has C3.ai, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, C3.ai, Inc. fell as much as −82% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns C3.ai, Inc.?
About 61% of C3.ai, Inc., or about 61 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 5%. The rest, roughly 34%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does C3.ai, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does C3.ai, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
C3.ai, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-12-09 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | $-0.37 | $-0.33 | Beat +11% |
| 2026-02-25 | $-0.29 | $-0.40 | Missed -38% |
| 2025-12-03 | $-0.33 | $-0.25 | Beat +25% |
| 2025-09-03 | $-0.21 | $-0.37 | Missed -75% |
| 2025-05-28 | $-0.20 | $-0.16 | Beat +20% |
| 2025-02-26 | $-0.25 | $-0.12 | Beat +52% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, C3.ai, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 4 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for C3.ai, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Becomes a dominant player in enterprise AI
Competition from tech giants makes business unviable
What are the pros and cons of C3.ai, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Operates in the high-growth artificial intelligence sector
- Provides specialised tools for large-scale enterprise needs
- Established platform with existing corporate clients
- Currently losing significant amounts of money
- Recent revenue figures show a sharp decline
- High volatility makes it a bumpy ride for shareholders
- Intense competition from much larger technology companies
- Difficulty in proving the business model can be profitable
- Sensitivity to broader economic conditions affecting tech spending
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A return to consistent, positive revenue growth
- Evidence of a clear path to becoming a profitable company
Common questions about C3.ai, Inc.
Does C3.ai, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - C3.ai, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does C3.ai, Inc. report earnings next?
C3.ai, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-12-09. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.