Yazılar

C3 AI Reportedly Exploring Sale After Founder-CEO Thomas Siebel Steps Down

/in /tarafından

C3 AI, a California-based enterprise artificial intelligence software company, is reportedly exploring a potential sale following the recent departure of its founder and long-time CEO Thomas Siebel due to health concerns, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The process is said to be in its early stages, with C3 AI also considering other strategic options, including raising private capital, the sources told Reuters. The company, headquartered in Redwood City, provides a platform used by clients such as Shell and the U.S. Air Force to build and operate large-scale AI applications. Its software is widely used across energy, manufacturing, and government sectors, positioning it as a smaller competitor to Palantir Technologies.

C3 AI currently has a market value of around $2.15 billion, but its shares have dropped over 54% this year amid financial struggles and uncertainty surrounding leadership changes.

In its most recent quarterly report, the company disclosed a net loss of $116.8 million (or $0.86 per share) for the fiscal quarter ending July 31, alongside a 19% revenue drop to $70.3 million. C3 AI also withdrew its full-year forecast in September, citing management transitions and a restructuring of its sales and service operations.

The company’s leadership transition saw Salesforce veteran Stephen Ehikian assume the CEO role on September 1, succeeding Siebel, who has moved to the position of executive chairman after revealing an autoimmune disease causing severe visual impairment.

Siebel, a renowned Silicon Valley entrepreneur, is best known for founding Siebel Systems, which he sold to Oracle in 2005 for $5.85 billion.

C3 AI’s board includes several prominent figures, such as former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Fortune CEO Alan Murray, and former Apple general counsel Bruce Sewell.

Oracle Cloud Orders Near $500 Billion, Shares Jump 27%

/in /tarafından

Oracle (ORCL.N) announced Tuesday that it expects its booked revenue in cloud infrastructure to surpass half a trillion dollars, sending shares soaring 27% after hours. The surge reflects rising demand for its low-cost AI cloud infrastructure and strong multi-cloud partnerships.

Key Highlights

  • Booked Revenue (RPO): Jumped 359% year-on-year to $455 billion in Q1 (ending August 31).

  • Future Growth: CEO Safra Catz said upcoming multi-billion-dollar deals are expected to push RPO beyond $500 billion.

  • Revenue Forecast: Oracle projects 77% growth in OCI revenue this fiscal year to $18B, rising to $144B over the next 4 years.

  • AI Integration: Customers can now directly connect databases to ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok via Oracle Cloud.

  • MultiCloud Strategy: Partnerships with Amazon, Google, and Microsoft drove a 1,529% increase in first-quarter multi-cloud revenue. Oracle plans 37 new datacenters, bringing the total to 71 with hyperscaler partners.

Market Impact

  • Shares: Up 45% YTD, boosted further by the after-hours spike.

  • Contracts: Four multi-billion-dollar deals with three customers supported overall Q1 revenue growth of 12% to $14.93B.

  • Q2 Guidance: Total revenue expected to rise 12–14%, with cloud revenue growing 32–36%.

Analyst Views

  • Analysts see Oracle emerging as a key AI cloud player, despite being smaller than hyperscaler rivals.

  • “Oracle is not just keeping up but actually leading the way in the cloud space,” said Melissa Otto, S&P Global Visible Alpha.

  • Jacob Bourne, eMarketer: “Enterprises are clearly eager for cost-effective AI cloud tools, and Oracle is positioning itself to capture that demand.”

EPAM Systems Raises 2025 Revenue and Profit Forecasts on Strong AI-Driven Demand

/in /tarafından

EPAM Systems boosted its annual revenue and profit outlook on Thursday, driven by robust demand for its software services as companies continue heavy investments in artificial intelligence technologies. The company also exceeded second-quarter earnings expectations, pushing its shares up over 5% in premarket trading.

The software provider, known for its consulting, cloud, AI transformation, and engineering services, reported broad-based revenue growth across key industry sectors including financial services, healthcare, software, and consumer goods, as well as across global regions.

“As our clients prioritize their AI-readiness and preparatory actions, they are increasingly turning to us to build out their data and AI foundation,” said Chief Revenue Officer Balazs Fejes, who is set to become CEO in September.

EPAM now projects 2025 annual revenue growth between 13% and 15%, revised upward from a previous range of 11.5% to 14.5%. Analysts had expected 13.4%, according to LSEG data. The company also raised its adjusted earnings per share forecast to between $10.96 and $11.12, surpassing the prior guidance of $10.70 to $10.95 and analysts’ estimate of $10.85.

For the third quarter, EPAM anticipates revenue of $1.37 billion to $1.38 billion and adjusted earnings per share between $2.98 and $3.06, both above market expectations.

In Q2, the company posted revenue of $1.35 billion, an 18% increase year-over-year that beat estimates of $1.33 billion. Adjusted earnings per share of $2.77 also surpassed the forecast of $2.61.