Nvidia-backed AI cloud provider CoreWeave saw its stock fall nearly 8% to $36.90 on Monday, its second day of trading, signaling cooling investor sentiment toward AI infrastructure investments. The company's Nasdaq debut, which had been closely watched as a barometer for tech IPOs, fell significantly short of initial expectations.
IPO Underwhelms Despite NVIDIA Support
Start investing today or test a free demo
Create account Try a demo Download mobile app Download mobile appCoreWeave's initial public offering raised $1.5 billion through the sale of 37.5 million shares at $40 each, considerably less than its original target of 49 million shares at $47-55, which could have generated up to $2.7 billion. The company's valuation was scaled back from $32 billion to $23 billion, reflecting what CEO Michael Intrator described as "broader market headwinds."
Notably, key partner NVIDIA invested $250 million to support the IPO, with half the funds raised coming from just three buyers. Analyst Gil Luria of DA Davidson commented that "NVIDIA having to save the IPO last minute supports our view that CoreWeave looks like a special purpose vehicle for NVDA—an off balance sheet arrangement to amplify $350 million investment into a $10 billion customer."
Growth Mixed With Significant Challenges
Despite reporting extraordinary revenue growth of 737% to $1.9 billion in 2023, CoreWeave posted a substantial net loss of $863 million. The company's business model, which involves borrowing to purchase NVIDIA GPUs and renting them to AI companies, faces multiple challenges:
-
Heavy reliance on Microsoft, which accounted for 62% of revenue last year
-
$8 billion in debt to build data centers, with servicing costs estimated at $1 billion this year
-
Dependency on specific NVIDIA chip models that could be disrupted by newer versions
-
Limited competitive moat in an increasingly crowded AI infrastructure market
CoreWeave's lukewarm reception may signal broader investor concerns about AI investments. Recent rumors that Microsoft canceled data center leases have further dampened sentiment, though CoreWeave denies any contract cancellations.
NVIDIA (D1 Interval)
The price is holding support at the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement level, a zone that has previously triggered reversals. The RSI is approaching a level that has also led to reversals multiple times, while the MACD, following a bearish crossover, may signal further downside. Source: xStation
