Bloom Energy Is Up 497% Over the Past Year. Is It Too Late to Buy?

Core Insights - Bloom Energy is positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for data center power as hyperscalers ramp up capital spending, with a stock surge of 497% over the past year [1] - The company reported strong fourth-quarter results and is exploring future opportunities despite its significant stock price increase [2] Company Performance - Bloom Energy's current stock price is $139.03, with a market cap of $37 billion and a gross margin of 30.89% [3] - The company's product backlog increased 2.5 times to $6 billion, while total backlog, including services, rose to $20 billion, driven by a $5 billion partnership with Brookfield Asset Management [5] Industry Context - Major tech companies plan to invest $625 billion in capital expenditures this year for data center expansion, creating a significant opportunity for Bloom Energy [3] - The U.S. power grid is projected to face a deficit of nearly 100 gigawatts over the next five years, highlighting the need for alternative power solutions like Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells [4] Product and Capacity - Bloom's solid oxide fuel cells can provide backup power and are quicker to deploy than traditional power grid solutions, with a recent delivery to Oracle completed in just 55 days [7] - The company plans to double its production capacity from 1 GW to 2 GW by the end of 2026 and has raised its 2026 revenue guidance from $3.1 billion to $3.3 billion due to strong demand [7] Valuation and Growth Projections - Bloom Energy's stock trades at a high valuation of 107 times projected earnings, with analysts forecasting earnings per share (EPS) of $1.38 for this year, $2.92 in 2027, and $4.58 in 2028 [8]