Key Takeaways
- GF Securities launched coverage of CoreWeave (CRWV) stock Thursday with a Buy recommendation and $162 price objective.
- Shares climbed 4% in early trading following the bullish analyst call.
- The firm highlighted CoreWeave’s GPU infrastructure leadership, AI-exclusive business model, and strategic contracts with hyperscale customers.
- Worldwide AI data center power capacity is projected to surge to 283 GW by decade’s end, more than doubling from approximately 122 GW this year.
- Large institutional holders including Vanguard and Invesco have substantially expanded their CoreWeave stakes in recent reporting periods.
CoreWeave (CRWV) stock received a bullish initiation Thursday morning as GF Securities kicked off coverage with a Buy recommendation and established a $162 price objective. Shares responded with a 4% gain in premarket activity.
CoreWeave, Inc. Class A Common Stock, CRWV
GF Securities analyst Michelle Jing characterized CoreWeave as a “long-term winner in the AI infra boom,” emphasizing the company’s early-mover advantage in GPU infrastructure deployment and its singular concentration on artificial intelligence workloads.
CRWV stock began Thursday’s session at $101.28. The shares trade within a 52-week band of $63.80 to $187.00 and command a market capitalization near $45.3 billion.
Jing outlined four pillars supporting her positive outlook: intensifying demand for AI infrastructure projects, a robust contract backlog supporting revenue visibility through 2026–2027, improving debt financing economics, and anticipated profitability improvements as major customer agreements scale. Her model projects the company achieving profitability by 2028.
The analyst also emphasized the expanding opportunity for alternative cloud providers. Worldwide AI data center capacity is forecast to expand from roughly 122 GW currently to 283 GW by 2030, fueled by buildouts from established cloud platforms and emerging AI leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic.
“After incorporating demand from enterprises and sovereign AI projects, we estimate the remaining addressable market represents a ~$1.7tn TAM for neocloud providers from 2026–2030,” Jing stated.
Major Institutions Expand Holdings
The optimistic GF Securities assessment arrives alongside continued institutional accumulation. Vanguard expanded its CoreWeave position by 275.6% during the fourth quarter, elevating its ownership to nearly 28 million shares valued at approximately $2 billion.
Proficio Capital Partners and Invesco executed significant portfolio adjustments as well, with Proficio expanding its stake by more than 446,000% in the third quarter and Invesco increasing over 55,000%. These dramatic percentage increases primarily reflect newly initiated or substantially enlarged positions.
DNB Asset Management established a fresh position in Q4, acquiring 32,849 shares worth roughly $2.35 million.
Wall Street Sentiment: Generally Positive with Notable Exceptions
Analyst opinion on CRWV stock remains divided though tilted optimistic. Among 33 professionals tracking the company, 19 maintain Buy ratings, 12 recommend Hold, and two advise Sell. The consensus price target stands at $129.63.
Citigroup lifted its objective to $158 from $155 in recent days while reaffirming its Buy stance. JPMorgan adjusted its target upward from $90 to $105 while maintaining a Neutral posture. Conversely, DA Davidson reduced its price objective to $100 from $175 and sustained a Neutral rating.
Sanford C. Bernstein represents the most pessimistic voice on Wall Street, maintaining an Underperform rating alongside a $67 target.
On the cautionary side, market watchers are monitoring several headwinds. A newly announced Blackstone-Google AI partnership has emerged as a potential competitive challenge. DA Davidson has expressed concerns regarding valuation multiples, leverage levels, and expanding losses.
CoreWeave reported quarterly revenue of $1.57 billion in its latest earnings release, representing 110.4% year-over-year growth. However, the company fell short on the bottom line, posting a loss of $0.89 per share versus the Street’s expectation of -$0.61. The analyst consensus forecasts a full-year loss of $4.15 per share.
In related trading activity, significant shareholder Magnetar Financial divested 159,168 CRWV shares on May 7 at an average price of $129.91, trimming its position by 19.09%. Additionally, COO Sachin Jain sold 14,750 shares on May 8 at $118.61 in a transaction associated with tax liabilities from equity award vesting.
