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C3.ai’s (AI) stock fell 14% after preliminary Q1 2026 results and another 5% post-full earnings.
The company struggles to profit from the AI boom, unlike competitors.
The Wall Street adage shifts for C3.ai: sell the rumor, sell the news, just sell.
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A Stock in Freefall
Three weeks ago, C3.ai (NYSE:AI) released preliminary fiscal Q1 2026 financial results, sending its stock plummeting 14% as investors recoiled from lackluster performance. Yesterday, the company unveiled its full quarterly results, and the market’s reaction was no kinder — shares are dropping another 5% in morning trading.
Despite the hype surrounding artificial intelligence, C3.ai seems stuck in neutral, failing to capitalize on the sector’s explosive growth. The old Wall Street adage, “buy the rumor, sell the news,” doesn’t quite fit here. With C3.ai, the strategy appears to be sell the rumor, sell the news, and, frankly, just sell the stock. The company’s inability to turn AI enthusiasm into sales or profits, coupled with leadership turmoil, paints a grim picture for its future.
Left Behind in the AI Boom
The AI revolution has transformed industries, with companies like Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ:PLTR) riding the wave of massive corporate spending on AI solutions. Yet, C3.ai, an enterprise AI software provider, has been conspicuously left behind.
While competitors are raking in profits, C3.ai struggles to convert the AI frenzy into even sustainable revenue. Despite its early-mover advantage in enterprise AI, the company has failed to capture the market’s imagination or wallets. Businesses are throwing billions at AI technologies, but C3.ai’s offerings — such as its C3 AI Platform and industry-specific applications — haven’t resonated as expected.
The company’s reliance on a complex, model-driven architecture may be too niche or cumbersome for widespread adoption, leaving it overshadowed by more agile competitors. This disconnect has made C3.ai one of the few AI stocks unable to ride the sector’s coattails to profitability.
Disappointing Results and Free Trials
C3.ai’s earnings underscore its challenges. The company reported total revenue of $70.3 million, a 19% year-over-year decline, and subscription revenue of $60.3 million, down 18%. The numbers can no longer mask the company’s underlying weaknesses. C3.ai closed 46 new agreements during the period, including 28 initial production deployment agreements, but these are essentially try-before-you-buy pilots. While they give C3.ai a foot in the door, they offer no guarantee of long-term contracts, as customers can walk away after testing.
The company’s Federal business showed some traction, with 12 new agreements representing 28% of total bookings, with deals across state and local governments and clients like the Department of Defense.
However, the lack of consistent, high-value contracts highlights C3.ai’s struggle to convert interest into committed revenue, further eroding investor confidence.
Leadership Turmoil Adds to Woes
Adding to C3.ai’s troubles, CEO Thomas M. Siebel announced he is stepping down due to health issues — a revelation first made earlier this summer. Siebel, a veteran of Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL) and Siebel Systems, admitted that his health challenges — including an autoimmune disease diagnosis and vision impairment — limited his involvement in the sales process, which he believes significantly impacted performance.
His departure raises serious questions about the company’s direction. Siebel’s hands-on approach was a cornerstone of C3.ai’s strategy, and his absence could exacerbate existing challenges, particularly as the company navigates a competitive landscape without a clear successor to drive its vision.
Key Takeaway
Despite C3.ai’s efforts to reorganize its sales and leadership teams, the future looks dim. Siebel noted in the earnings release that his reduced involvement hurt results more than anticipated, and with his exit, the company loses a key figure in its sales strategy.
The restructuring, while complete with new hires, has to prove it can turn into meaningful growth. Alarmingly, C3.ai withdrew its full-year guidance, promising an update with Q2 results — a move that signals significant uncertainty. With no clear path to profitability and a leadership vacuum, C3.ai’s prospects remain shaky.
Investors shouldn’t worry about whether to buy on the rumor and sell on the news; just sell this disappointing AI stock altogether.
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