C3.ai Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates, Stock Tumbles on Cautious Q3 View

Core Insights - C3.ai, Inc. reported mixed results for Q2 of fiscal 2026, with earnings and revenues surpassing estimates but declining significantly year over year [1][5] Financial Performance - The company incurred an adjusted loss per share of 25 cents, which was better than the consensus estimate of a loss of 32 cents, but worse than the adjusted loss of 6 cents reported in the same quarter last year [5] - Revenues for the quarter were $75.15 million, slightly above the consensus estimate of $75.14 million, but down 20.3% from the previous year [5] - Subscription revenues decreased to $70.2 million from $81.2 million year over year, while professional services revenues fell sharply by 62.8% to $4.9 million [6] Operational Challenges - The quarterly performance was negatively impacted by a 43-day government shutdown, which disrupted federal workflows and elongated sales cycles across various sectors [2] - Softer contributions from Subscription and Professional Services businesses, along with elevated operating expenses, further pressured the bottom line [3] Strengths and Future Outlook - The Federal segment showed resilience, with bookings in Federal, Defense, and Aerospace rising 89% year over year, accounting for 45% of total bookings [4] - The company anticipates revenues for Q3 of fiscal 2026 to be between $72 million and $80 million, reflecting a decline of 19% to 27% from $98.8 million reported in the same quarter last year [9] - For the full fiscal year 2026, C3.ai expects revenues to be between $289.5 million and $309.5 million, indicating a decline of 20% to 26% from the previous year [11]