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. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. 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. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
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.
Becomes a dominant player in enterprise AI
Competition from tech giants makes business unviable
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 (72/100)
- Operates in the high-growth artificial intelligence sector
- Provides specialised tools for large-scale enterprise needs
- Established platform with existing corporate clients
- Quality screens low (30/100)
- Growth screens low (0/100)
- Momentum screens low (11/100)
- Income screens low (16/100)
- Intense competition from much larger technology companies
What do C3.ai, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does C3.ai, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
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.
When does C3.ai, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
C3.ai, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-09-09 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| 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 →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Hewlett Packard EnterpriseWhat are the scenarios for C3.ai, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of C3.ai, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — 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
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
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.