CoreWeave Raises $25B Capital: Fuel for Growth or Leverage Trouble?

Core Insights - CoreWeave, Inc. (CRWV) has raised $25 billion in debt and equity since 2024 to expand its capacity in response to increasing AI compute demand [1][10] - The company aims to achieve 900 MW of active power by year-end to position itself as a leading provider for large-scale AI workloads [3][10] - Interest expenses have surged to $267 million compared to $67 million a year ago, with expectations for Q3 interest expenses between $350 million and $390 million [4][10] Financing and Capacity Expansion - CoreWeave closed a $2.6 billion delayed draw term loan facility to enhance service delivery for OpenAI and expand its infrastructure [2] - The company is undertaking significant data center investments, including a $6 billion project in Lancaster, PA, and another in Kenilworth, NJ, through a joint venture [3] - The financing includes two high-yield offerings: a $2 billion issuance in May and a $1.75 billion issuance in July, both of which were oversubscribed [1][2] Financial Performance and Challenges - CoreWeave reported a net loss of $291 million and an adjusted net loss of $131 million in Q2, primarily due to high interest expenses [4] - The company faces challenges from increasing capital expenditures projected at $20-$23 billion in 2025 and intense competition from rivals like Nebius and Microsoft [5] - The ability to manage high leverage and ballooning interest expenses will be critical for CoreWeave's future growth [5] Competitive Landscape - Nebius aims to secure 1 GW of capacity by 2026, with an annualized run rate of $430 million as of June [7][8] - Microsoft has added over 2 GW of new data center capacity and has significant financial resources, with $94.6 billion in cash and equivalents [9][10] - The competition in the AI cloud market is intensifying, with major players ramping up their capacity and investments [5][11] Market Performance - CoreWeave shares have declined by 25.6% over the past month, contrasting with a 3.1% growth in the Internet Software industry [12] - The company's Price/Book ratio stands at 16.78X, significantly higher than the industry average of 6.3X [14] - Earnings estimates for CoreWeave for 2025 have been revised downwards over the past 60 days [15]