Shares of C3.ai (NYSE: AI) were moving higher today even though there was no company-specific news on the stock. Instead, shares of the cloud software stock rose in tandem with those of several of its peers that reported strong earnings results last night. That seemed to stoke anticipation for the company's own earnings report, scheduled for next Monday.
Additionally, one closely watched Wall Street analyst said that AI software stocks would be winners in 2025.
As a result, C3.ai was up 5.8% as of 11:20 a.m. ET.
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Cloud stocks are coming back
Cloud software stocks like C3.ai plunged after the pandemic ended and growth slowed, but they are picking up steam again after a long lull.
Last night, Salesforce, the largest pure-play cloud software stock, delivered strong results and touted adoption of its artificial intelligence (AI) tools (like Agentforce), a positive sign for C3.ai and other software stocks. Some investors have been skeptical about AI being adopted at the software level.
CEO Marc Benioff said, "Agentforce, our complete AI system for enterprises built into the Salesforce Platform, is at the heart of a groundbreaking transformation."
Additionally, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said Salesforce's results showed that "the AI Revolution is entering the software phase into 2025."
Will C3.ai follow through?
Following strong growth from peers like Palantir, hopes are riding on C3.ai's earnings report next week.
Analysts are expecting 24.3% growth to $91 million and an adjusted loss per share of $0.16, down from a $0.13 per-share loss in the quarter a year ago.
C3.ai's revenue growth has been accelerating, a promising sign, and the stock seems likely to be a winner as AI software goes mainstream. However, the company is still deeply unprofitable.
Expect the stock to swing one way or another on Tuesday, depending on its second-quarter results.
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Jeremy Bowman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Palantir Technologies and Salesforce. The Motley Fool recommends C3.ai. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
