Is CoreWeave a Millionaire-Maker Stock?

CoreWeave Overview - CoreWeave, founded in 2017, initially focused on cryptocurrency mining before pivoting to cloud computing services, renting out computing power via the cloud [3] - The company aims to compete with major hyperscalers like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure by offering services that are claimed to be up to 35 times faster and 80% less expensive than traditional providers [5] Financial Performance - CoreWeave's third-quarter revenue surged by 134% year over year, reaching $1.36 billion [6] - The company has a market capitalization of $36 billion, with a current stock price of $1.68 [4][5] Challenges and Risks - Despite significant revenue growth, CoreWeave's stock price has declined over the past six months, raising concerns among investors [7] - The operating margin fell dramatically from 20% to 4% in the third quarter, which is significantly lower than competitors like Nvidia, which reported over 60% [8] - CoreWeave's balance sheet is under pressure, with $10.3 billion in long-term debt against only $1.89 billion in cash and equivalents, leading to high interest expenses of $310.6 million in the third quarter [10] Market Position and Outlook - The company benefits from strong demand for its cloud GPU services, but there are concerns that if AI-related demand slows, CoreWeave could face significant challenges [12] - The current business model is viewed as fundamentally unworkable due to low operating margins and a deteriorating balance sheet, leading to skepticism about its potential for substantial returns [11]