Snowflake Rides on Strong AI Demand: A Sign for More Upside?

Core Insights - Snowflake (SNOW) is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for AI-driven solutions, with AI influencing 50% of bookings in fiscal Q3 2026 and achieving a $100 million AI revenue run rate ahead of schedule [1][11] Group 1: AI and Product Developments - The introduction of Snowflake Intelligence, an agentic AI platform, has led to rapid adoption, with 1,200 customers utilizing its capabilities in fiscal Q3 2026 [2] - Snowflake's investments in AI and machine learning, including Cortex AI and partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic, have resulted in over 7,300 customers using its AI and ML technology weekly [3] - A multi-year $200 million expansion of the partnership with Anthropic aims to integrate Claude models into the Snowflake platform and enhance enterprise AI capabilities [4] Group 2: Financial Performance and Projections - For fiscal Q4 2026, Snowflake anticipates product revenues between $1.195 billion and $1.2 billion, indicating a year-over-year growth of 27% [5][11] - The consensus estimate for Snowflake's fiscal 2026 earnings is $1.20 per share, reflecting a 44.58% year-over-year increase [14] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Snowflake faces strong competition from major players like Amazon and Oracle, both of which are expanding their AI initiatives [6] - Amazon's AI efforts, including the launch of Project Rainier, have significantly advanced, with Trainium2 chips seeing a 150% quarter-over-quarter growth [7] - Oracle's introduction of the AI Agent Marketplace for Fusion Cloud customers is facilitating large-scale AI adoption across various sectors [8] Group 4: Stock Performance and Valuation - Snowflake shares have appreciated 1.6% over the past six months, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer & Technology sector's return of 21.3% but outperforming the Zacks Internet Software industry's decline of 5.1% [9] - The stock is trading at a premium with a forward 12-month Price/Sales ratio of 13.85X compared to the Internet Software industry's 4.86X [12]