CRWV Stock Alert: Why CoreWeave May Have the Most to Lose From an AI Slowdown

CoreWeave (CRWV) shares are slipping on Monday after tech leaders, including Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, warned that artificial intelligence (AI) model development must be paced to prevent potential safety risks. A potential slowdown in training artificial intelligence models could prove a major headwind for neocloud firms like CRWV, according to Bernstein’s senior analyst Maidson Rezaei.

Despite today’s decline, CoreWeave stock is up about 40% versus its year-to-date low. 

What an AI Training Slowdown Would Mean for CRWV Stock

Rezaei sees CRWV stock as particularly exposed because 74% of the company’s pipeline is in Tier 3 and Tier 4 rural locations. 

This means that the firm’s capacity is physically optimized for AI training instead of real-time artificial intelligence applications, which typically demand low-latency data centers situated near major metropolitan population centers.

If tech leaders slow down model training, the overall demand for CoreWeave’s rural facilities could sink rather significantly, potentially hurting its longer-term growth profile. 

Note that Bernstein currently rates CRWV at “Underperform,” with a $74 price target that indicates potential downside of more than 10% from here. 

Why Bernstein Recommends Cautions on CoreWeave Shares

In her research note, Rezaei admitted that CoreWeave’s existing backlog relies on take-or-pay agreements to shield its current cash flow. 

Still, an AI training slowdown or a pivot to inference, required for more agentic workflows, creates a roadblock for unmonetized pipeline capacity.

“The backlog is comprised of take-or-pay contracts, so we do not anticipate a threat there but could see pullback in demand for the contracted-not-yet-sold rural power if training development slows,” she told clients. 

In the current environment, the Bernstein expert sees metro-based data centers as a safer bet. Note that CoreWeave shares do not currently pay a dividend either. 

What’s the Consensus Rating on CoreWeave?

Crucially, other Wall Street firms do not really agree with Bernstein on what the future holds for CRWV shares. 

According to Barchart, the consensus rating on CoreWeave remains at “Moderate Buy,” with the mean price target of about $140 indicating potential upside of nearly 70% from current levels. 

On the date of publication, Wajeeh Khan did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.