How to Buy C3.ai Stock (NYSE:AI) in 2026

How to buy C3.ai stock

Below is a step-by-step guide to buying the stock if you're wondering how to invest in C3.ai.

Should you invest in C3.ai?

C3.ai has been one of the more volatile stocks on the market since its initial public offering (IPO) at the end of 2020. After early gains, the stock fell sharply during the 2022 tech sell-off and remains well below its all-time high. While interest in AI has revived attention, the company has struggled to translate that demand into sustained profitability.

In fiscal 2024, revenue rose 25% to $389 million, but the company posted a large net loss, driven in part by heavy stock-based compensation. Management now expects revenue growth of around 20% in fiscal 2026 and projects cash-flow positivity by fiscal 2027, a target that has already been delayed multiple times.

At a price-to-sales ratio near 9, C3.ai looks expensive relative to its losses, especially compared with other SaaS companies facing increasing competition from both big tech firms and AI start-ups.

Is C3.ai profitable?

Management had once said it expected to be profitable on a non-GAAP (adjusted) basis by the end of fiscal 2024, though that didn't turn out to be true. CEO Thomas Siebel has said that the company expects revenue to outgrow expenses, so it should eventually turn profitable on a non-GAAP basis as it scales up. While management expects operating leverage over time, profitability depends on whether the company can scale revenue faster than expenses -- something it has yet to prove consistently.

Does C3.ai pay a dividend?

C3.ai does not pay a dividend and is unlikely to do so for the foreseeable future. Paying a dividend is generally reserved for reliably profitable, mostly mature companies, and C3.ai is neither profitable nor mature.

In its annual report, the company said it does not anticipate declaring or paying dividends in the foreseeable future. Considering most SaaS companies don't pay dividends, C3.ai is unlikely to do so for at least several years.

How to invest in C3.ai through ETFs

Approximately 76 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have exposure to C3.ai. Although most have very little exposure to the AI stock, there are three ETFs where C3.ai makes up at least 3%, with one being Global X Cloud Computing ETF (CLOU +0.79%).

Will C3.ai stock split?

There is no indication of a stock split, and at its current price level, one would be unusual.

Investors should also be aware that a stock split doesn't affect a stock's fundamentals. Splits get a lot of attention from investors and in the media, and there is evidence that they can boost a stock since they reflect management's confidence. However, investors are much better off buying a stock based on fundamentals rather than because it is planning to do a stock split.

The bottom line

C3.ai is one of the more exciting AI stocks on the market today, but like other emerging technologies in the past, investors should treat the stock with caution. Ever since the dot-com bubble, new technologies have captivated investors but often lead to bubbles and stock crashes.

Once again, stocks like C3.ai seem to have jumped largely based on hype since their growth rates are still relatively slow. With a unique product offering, C3.ai has the ability to break through in AI, especially if its offering gains traction with customers. However, there's reason to be skeptical based on its performance so far.

Keep your eye on the company's results since it could capitalize on the AI boom. Still, its inability to do so meaningfully is a warning sign for the stock.

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