C3.ai Q4 Non-GAAP Loss Beats Guidance, CEO Returns
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: May 12 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Earnings Surprise: C3.ai reported a Q4 non-GAAP loss of $54.4 million, outperforming the company's guidance range of $56.0 million to $64.0 million, indicating resilience amid challenging market conditions.
- Revenue Performance: The company generated revenue of $51.6 million, a 52.5% year-over-year decline, yet it exceeded market expectations by $1.47 million, suggesting some level of sustained market demand despite difficulties.
- Executive Change: Effective May 8, 2026, Thomas M. Siebel resumes his role as CEO while continuing as Chairman of the Board, a shift that could influence the company's strategic direction and operational execution.
- Stock Price Reaction: C3.ai shares rose 8% in after-hours trading, reflecting a positive market response to the earnings beat and executive return, potentially boosting investor confidence.
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Analyst Views on AI
Wall Street analysts forecast AI stock price to rise
13 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
6 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 10.220
Low
18.00
Averages
30.45
High
50.00
Current: 10.220
Low
18.00
Averages
30.45
High
50.00
About AI
C3.ai, Inc. is an enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) application software company. The Company has built a solution that enables its customers to rapidly develop, deploy, and operate enterprise AI applications. It offers families of software solutions, which it collectively refers to as its C3 AI software: The C3 AI Platform, C3 AI Applications, and C3 Generative AI. The C3 AI Platform, its core technology, is a comprehensive, end-to-end application development and runtime environment that is designed to allow its customers to rapidly design, develop, and deploy Enterprise AI applications of any type. Its C3 AI Applications, built using the C3 AI Platform, is a portfolio of pre-built, extensible, industry-specific, and application-specific software-as-a-service offerings (SaaS) Enterprise AI applications that can be rapidly installed and deployed. Its C3 Generative AI combines the utility of large language models, generative AI, reinforcement learning, natural language processing.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
C3.ai Faces Intensifying Competitive Pressure
- Revenue Decline: C3.ai reported approximately $50 million in revenue for Q1 FY2026, a significant drop from $87 million previously, indicating a weakening competitive position that may erode investor confidence.
- Increased Losses: The company posted a loss per share of $0.40, exceeding the market expectation of $0.30, and continues to face financial pressures, highlighting serious challenges to its profitability.
- Deteriorating Competitive Landscape: Major software firms like Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow are undermining C3.ai's market position by embedding AI capabilities into existing products, significantly reducing its appeal among enterprise customers.
- Management Changes: Founder Thomas Siebel has returned as CEO, and while investors hope his leadership can revive sales momentum, C3.ai still needs to demonstrate its ability to grow consistently in a highly competitive market.
See More
C3.ai Faces Competitive Pressures and Market Challenges
- Revenue Decline: C3.ai reported approximately $50 million in revenue for Q1 FY2026, a significant drop from $87 million in the previous period, indicating a weakening competitive position that could erode investor confidence.
- Earnings Miss: The company posted a loss of $0.40 per share, exceeding the market's expectation of $0.30, and guided for continued pressure, suggesting a concerning outlook for its financial health that may impact stock performance.
- Intensifying Competition: Major players like Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow are rapidly capturing market share from C3.ai by embedding AI into existing products, undermining C3.ai's market positioning and increasing survival pressures.
- Management Changes: Founder Thomas Siebel has returned as CEO, and while investors hope his return will boost sales, C3.ai still needs to demonstrate its ability to achieve sustainable growth in a highly competitive market.
See More
C3.ai's CEO Return: A Potential Turnaround?
- Significant Decline: C3.ai's stock has plummeted 59% over the past year, reflecting ongoing sales struggles in the AI solutions market, with recent quarterly revenue at $51.6 million, a stark drop from $108.7 million a year prior, indicating severe growth challenges for the company.
- Impact of Executive Changes: Founder and CEO Thomas Siebel stepped down last year due to health issues, with Stephen Ehikian taking over on September 1, 2025; however, the company failed to improve performance during this transition, even considering a sale, highlighting the negative impact of management changes on strategic direction.
- Hope with Siebel's Return: Siebel returned as CEO on May 8, and with his health improving, there is renewed market optimism about his ability to revitalize sales growth, although the company still needs to demonstrate strong product demand in a competitive AI landscape.
- Ongoing Profitability Risks: While C3.ai's stock may appear cheap with a market cap around $1.4 billion, the company remains unprofitable and lacks growth in a fiercely competitive AI market, necessitating careful evaluation of its future profitability and market demand before investing.
See More
Thomas Siebel Returns as CEO of C3.ai Amid Struggles
- Declining Performance: C3.ai's stock has plummeted 59% over the past year, indicating ongoing sales declines despite offering over 100 AI solutions, failing to achieve expected growth in a booming AI market.
- Deteriorating Financials: The company's preliminary fourth-quarter results revealed revenue of $51.6 million for the period ending April 30, a significant drop from $108.7 million a year ago, highlighting severe challenges in a competitive landscape.
- Leadership Changes: Founder and former CEO Thomas Siebel stepped down last year due to health issues, and his successor Stephen Ehikian has not improved performance; Siebel's return as CEO on May 8 raises market hopes for a turnaround.
- Profitability Risks: Although C3.ai's market cap is around $1.4 billion and its stock appears cheap, the company remains unprofitable, facing immense pressure to demonstrate product demand in a fiercely competitive AI market.
See More
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C3.ai Founder Returns: Can It Reverse the Downtrend?
- Significant Stock Decline: C3.ai's stock has plummeted by 36% this year, despite overall gains in the AI sector, indicating a potential loss of competitive edge that may weaken investor confidence.
- Impact of Leadership Change: The departure of founder and CEO Thomas Siebel due to health issues led to an unexpected revenue collapse, resulting in lost or delayed lucrative deals and negatively affecting the company's market position.
- Severe Financial Condition: C3.ai reported total revenue of $250.3 million for fiscal 2026, a 35% decline year-over-year, with a net loss of $498 million, nearly a 70% increase from the previous year, putting the company under financial strain and necessitating a swift return to profitability to avoid further losses.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: While Siebel's return as CEO is seen as a positive development, analysts predict a further 9% decline in revenue for fiscal 2027, prompting investors to exercise caution until the company demonstrates its ability to achieve sustainable revenue growth.
See More
C3.ai Faces Intensifying Competitive Pressure
- Revenue Decline: C3.ai reported approximately $50 million in revenue for Q1 FY2026, a significant drop from $87 million previously, indicating a weakening competitive position that may erode investor confidence.
- Increased Losses: The company posted a loss per share of $0.40, exceeding the market expectation of $0.30, and continues to face financial pressures, highlighting serious challenges to its profitability.
- Deteriorating Competitive Landscape: Major software firms like Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow are undermining C3.ai's market position by embedding AI capabilities into existing products, significantly reducing its appeal among enterprise customers.
- Management Changes: Founder Thomas Siebel has returned as CEO, and while investors hope his leadership can revive sales momentum, C3.ai still needs to demonstrate its ability to grow consistently in a highly competitive market.
See More
C3.ai Faces Competitive Pressures and Market Challenges
- Revenue Decline: C3.ai reported approximately $50 million in revenue for Q1 FY2026, a significant drop from $87 million in the previous period, indicating a weakening competitive position that could erode investor confidence.
- Earnings Miss: The company posted a loss of $0.40 per share, exceeding the market's expectation of $0.30, and guided for continued pressure, suggesting a concerning outlook for its financial health that may impact stock performance.
- Intensifying Competition: Major players like Microsoft, Salesforce, and ServiceNow are rapidly capturing market share from C3.ai by embedding AI into existing products, undermining C3.ai's market positioning and increasing survival pressures.
- Management Changes: Founder Thomas Siebel has returned as CEO, and while investors hope his return will boost sales, C3.ai still needs to demonstrate its ability to achieve sustainable growth in a highly competitive market.
See More
C3.ai's CEO Return: A Potential Turnaround?
- Significant Decline: C3.ai's stock has plummeted 59% over the past year, reflecting ongoing sales struggles in the AI solutions market, with recent quarterly revenue at $51.6 million, a stark drop from $108.7 million a year prior, indicating severe growth challenges for the company.
- Impact of Executive Changes: Founder and CEO Thomas Siebel stepped down last year due to health issues, with Stephen Ehikian taking over on September 1, 2025; however, the company failed to improve performance during this transition, even considering a sale, highlighting the negative impact of management changes on strategic direction.
- Hope with Siebel's Return: Siebel returned as CEO on May 8, and with his health improving, there is renewed market optimism about his ability to revitalize sales growth, although the company still needs to demonstrate strong product demand in a competitive AI landscape.
- Ongoing Profitability Risks: While C3.ai's stock may appear cheap with a market cap around $1.4 billion, the company remains unprofitable and lacks growth in a fiercely competitive AI market, necessitating careful evaluation of its future profitability and market demand before investing.
See More
Thomas Siebel Returns as CEO of C3.ai Amid Struggles
- Declining Performance: C3.ai's stock has plummeted 59% over the past year, indicating ongoing sales declines despite offering over 100 AI solutions, failing to achieve expected growth in a booming AI market.
- Deteriorating Financials: The company's preliminary fourth-quarter results revealed revenue of $51.6 million for the period ending April 30, a significant drop from $108.7 million a year ago, highlighting severe challenges in a competitive landscape.
- Leadership Changes: Founder and former CEO Thomas Siebel stepped down last year due to health issues, and his successor Stephen Ehikian has not improved performance; Siebel's return as CEO on May 8 raises market hopes for a turnaround.
- Profitability Risks: Although C3.ai's market cap is around $1.4 billion and its stock appears cheap, the company remains unprofitable, facing immense pressure to demonstrate product demand in a fiercely competitive AI market.
See More
A10 Networks and Micron Technology See Active Options Trading
- Surge in A10 Options Trading: A10 Networks Inc (Ticker: ATEN) saw options trading volume reach 15,628 contracts today, representing approximately 160.1% of its average daily trading volume, indicating strong market interest in its future performance.
- High Demand for Call Options: Notably, the $35 strike call option has seen 8,512 contracts traded today, representing about 851,200 shares of ATEN, suggesting a significant bullish sentiment among investors regarding the stock's potential upside.
- Micron Technology Options Activity: Micron Technology Inc (Ticker: MU) recorded an options trading volume of 771,762 contracts today, equating to approximately 151.9% of its average daily trading volume, reflecting strong investor interest in its stock.
- Active Call Options Trading: The $800 strike call option for MU has seen 43,603 contracts traded today, representing around 4.4 million shares of MU, indicating investor confidence in the company's future growth prospects.
See More
C3.ai Founder Returns: Can It Reverse the Downtrend?
- Significant Stock Decline: C3.ai's stock has plummeted by 36% this year, despite overall gains in the AI sector, indicating a potential loss of competitive edge that may weaken investor confidence.
- Impact of Leadership Change: The departure of founder and CEO Thomas Siebel due to health issues led to an unexpected revenue collapse, resulting in lost or delayed lucrative deals and negatively affecting the company's market position.
- Severe Financial Condition: C3.ai reported total revenue of $250.3 million for fiscal 2026, a 35% decline year-over-year, with a net loss of $498 million, nearly a 70% increase from the previous year, putting the company under financial strain and necessitating a swift return to profitability to avoid further losses.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: While Siebel's return as CEO is seen as a positive development, analysts predict a further 9% decline in revenue for fiscal 2027, prompting investors to exercise caution until the company demonstrates its ability to achieve sustainable revenue growth.
See More
