ZACKSยท2025-07-01 18:01Core Insights - Innodata (INOD) and C3.ai (AI) are prominent AI-focused companies that provide essential services for enterprise digital transformation, with Innodata specializing in AI data engineering and model training, while C3.ai offers an AI-powered software platform for data integration and analytics [1][2] Industry Overview - The global generative AI spending is projected to reach $644 billion by 2025, reflecting a growth of 76.4% from 2024, with services expected to grow by 162.6% to $27.76 billion and software anticipated to increase by 93.9% to $37.12 billion [2] - Overall global spending on AI is expected to exceed $632 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 29% from 2024 to 2028 [2] Innodata Highlights - Innodata is poised to benefit from significant investments from major tech companies, including Microsoft's $80 billion and Meta Platforms' $64-$72 billion [4] - The company anticipates a 40% year-over-year revenue increase in 2025, reaching $238.6 million, driven by expanding client relationships [5] - Innodata is targeting the generative AI IT services market, projected to be worth $200 billion by 2029, and is enhancing its capabilities in creating training data for large language models (LLMs) [6] - The launch of Innodata's Generative AI Test & Evaluation Platform aims to assist enterprises in evaluating the safety and reliability of LLMs [7] C3.ai Highlights - C3.ai operates over 130 enterprise AI applications, with a 100% increase in Generative AI revenues in fiscal 2025 and 66 deployments across 16 industries [8][10] - The company has established a strong partner network, with 73% of agreements in fiscal 2025 made in collaboration with major cloud providers, leading to a 419% year-over-year increase in partner-driven bookings [9] - C3.ai secured a $450 million contract with the U.S. Air Force, enhancing its presence in the federal sector [11] - The company reported a 48% year-over-year increase in non-oil and gas revenue, reflecting successful expansion into 19 different industries [12] Stock Performance - Year-to-date, Innodata shares have increased by 29.6%, while C3.ai shares have decreased by 28.6% [13] - Both companies are currently considered overvalued, with C3.ai trading at a forward Price/Sales ratio of 6.81X compared to Innodata's 6.03X [16][19] Earnings Estimates - The consensus estimate for C3.ai's fiscal 2026 loss is 37 cents per share, improved from a previous estimate of 46 cents [21] - Innodata's earnings estimate for 2025 is 69 cents per share, reflecting a 22.47% decrease year-over-year [22] Investment Recommendation - Despite Innodata's growth potential, C3.ai's strong partner base, innovative platform, and diversified business model make it a more attractive investment option, with a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) compared to Innodata's 3 (Hold) [23]